LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

3**srr — 

- Shelf /.M--& : 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




r 

THR 8HIRLD 



OF THE 



YOUNG METHODIST 



OR, 



"^eMe^odis-f^lrmor" 



Abridged and Arranged in the Form of a Cate- 
chism for the Benefit of Sunday-schools, 
Young Converts, and for Families. 



/ 



By Jiilafy T. Jiadson, 1D.1D., 

Of the North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South. 




Printed for the Author. 

Publishing House of the M. E. Church, South. 

J. D. Barbee, Agent, Nashville, Tenn. 



<£s 




& h*h 



Mb 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1889, 

By HilabyT. IHudson, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



TO THE 



^oun£ people of Southern Methodism 

THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY 
DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR. 

(3) 



PREFACE. 



It is of the highest importance that the millions of 
Methodist children be properly indoctrinated. Early 
indoctrination is the most direct means of making them 
loyal Methodists and moral Christians. The multitudes 
of wavering, feeble, and barren members of the Meth- 
odist Church are largely caused by the lack of this in- 
doctrination and training. Thousands are brought into 
the Church through revivals annually; but alas! how 
many drop out and disappear for lack of intelligent 
views of Methodism and of being properly drilled. 
The day has come that in order to hold our youth the 
Church must give them special lessons on the distinct- 
ive doctrines, the distinctive economy, and the pecul- 
iar usages of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 
"The Shield " meets this felt necessity. 

1. The Articles of Faith are so arranged as to make it 
easy for children to comprehend them and learn the 
scriptures on which they rest. 

2. The General Eules are separated and numbered, 
with Scripture quotations under each rule, accompanied 
by such notes as teach the children its practical impor- 
tance. 

(5) 



6 Preface. 



3. The Methodistic doctrines of free grace, justifica- 
tion, regeneration, Christian perfection, falling from 
grace, baptism, etc., are all clearly and simply set forth. 

4. The government of the Church, in all of its Con- 
ferences and by its officers, is made plain to the minds 
of children. 

" The Shield " retains all the purely-distinctive feat- 
ures of Methodism found in "The Armor," with a con- 
siderable amount of new matter. 



CONTENTS. 

Chapter I. PAGE 

Methodist History 9 

Chapter II. 
Articles of Religion 22 

Chapter III. 
The General Rules 74 

Chapter IV. 
The General Rules (Continued) 78 

Chapter V. 
Prominent Doctrines of Methodism 109 

Chapter VI. 
Prominent Doctrines of Methodism (Continued).. . 131 

Chapter VII. 
Mode of Baptism 142 

Chapter VIII. 
Church Government 163 

Chapter IX. 
Church Government (Continued) 182 

Chapter X. 
Church Government (Continued) 192 

Chapter XI. 
Church Government (Continued) 200 

Appendix. 
Denominational Statistics for 1887 214 

(7) • 



THE SHIELD OF THE YOUNG METHODIST, 



CHAPTER I. 

Methodist History. 



LESSON I. 
ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF METHODISM. 

Question. When and where did Methodism 
begin its course ? 

Answer, The history of Methodism began 
in the year 1729. It was born in the Uni- 
versity of Oxford, England. While at col- 
lege, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, George 
Whitefield, and a few others banded them- 
selves together for the purpose of intellectual 
and spiritual improvement. So systematic 
were these young men in their habits of relig- 
ious duty that the gayer students in derision 
called them "Methodists." So the disciples 
of Christ were first called "Christians" at 
Antioch by a deriding world, yet the name 
was so appropriate that they gloried in it. 
And since Methodism has wrought out such 

(9) 



10 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

a glorious history none of her followers are 
ashamed of her name. 

Ques. "When was the first Methodist Society 
organized? 

Ans. In 1739, by Mr. Wesley, in the city of 
London. It began with about ten persons, 
and soon swelled up to hundreds. A great 
revival soon began to spread over the British 
realm. It was a work of great depth and du- 
ration. " It came sweeping along like the winds 
which God had let loose from his fists, sway- 
ing devout souls, breaking down stubborn sin- 
ners, overturning hopes built on false founda- 
tions, but quenching not the smoking flax nor 
breaking the bruised reed. It was Heaven's 
bountiful gift to the silent prayer of the 
world's sorrow by reason of its great sin." 
Note. 

This great revival was sorely needed just 
at this time. The English people, under the 
sleepy ritualism of the Established Church, 
" had lapsed into heathenism, or a state hardly 
to be distinguished from it." In the midst of 
this spiritual darkness God raised up a bish- 
op, a preacher, a poet — three men the equals 
of whom have probably never been seen in 
the world at once since the apostolic days. 



Methodist History. 11 

The bishop was John Wesley, the preacher 
was George Whitefield, the poet was Charles 
Wesley. To these three men, and those whom 
they gathered to their standard, did the Lord 
commit the precious work of awaking the 
British kingdom to a sense of God and duty, 
and by them he wrought a reformation which 
stands alone as a spiritual revival without 
admixture of state-craft or patronage of Par- 
liament or King. 

The Foundee. 

Ques. Who was the founder of the Meth- 
odist Church? 

Arts. Rev. John Wesley, who was born in 
England June 14, 1703. 

Give a sketch of his character. 

John Wesley came of good stock. His fa- 
ther was a preacher before him. He entered 
college at the age of seventeen, and came out 
a distinguished graduate of one of the most 
famous universities of the world. His intel- 
lectual training was of the highest order. A 
happy and thorough conversion marked his re- 
ligious experience. He says: "I felt my heart 
strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ 
alone for salvation. An assurance was given 
me that he had taken away my sins, even 



12 ' The Shield of the Young Methodist 

mine, and saved me from the law of sin and 
death." Before, he knew what religion was 
theologically; now, he knows what it is experi- 
mentally. From this time on he is a new man, 
full of power and the Holy Ghost. His intel- 
lectual faculties kindled up into a luminous 
condition, and his spiritual vision was clear 
and comprehensive. The enthusiasm growing 
out of his experience went with him and caught 
material everywhere for new flame and fervor. 
The torch of Mr. Wesley's experience kin- 
dled a blaze which has glowed and spread 
from that day till now. The celestial fire 
which warmed his heart is the light of the 
world. 

Methodism began with experimental relig- 
ion in the heart, and by spontaneous energies 
from within projected itself out into organic 
forms of life — such as class-meetings, love- 
feasts, Conferences, the itinerancy, and Church 
polity. This is the philosophy of the Meth- 
odist economy. It is the power of divine life 
clothing itself with such organic functions as 
are necessary to perpetuate and spread itself 
through the world. In ten years the outlines 
of the coming Church were already prepared. 
Societies were formed, quarterly meetings 



Methodist History. 13 

held, Annual Conferences assembled, and 
preachers exchanged, and Methodism began 
her glorious career. 

Ques. When did he die? 

Ans. John Wesley died in 1791, exclaiming : 
" The best of all is — God is with us." 

As beautiful as the summer sunset in a 
cloudless sky was the death of Mr. Wesley. 
The sun of his long life, beautiful in the morn- 
ing of youth, radiant at the noon of manhood, 
after shining almost a century to enlighten 
and make fruitful the earth, went down in full- 
orbed glory, gilding the world left behind with 
the reflected splendor of its departing rays. 

Ques. What are the opinions of writers about 
the greatness of Mr. Wesley? 

Ans. "I consider him as the most influen- 
tial mind of the last century — the man who will 
have produced the greatest results centuries 
hence," said Southey. " No man has risen in 
the Methodist Society equal to their founder, 
John Wesley," said Dean Stanley. "A greater 
poet may arise than Homer or Milton, a great- 
er theologian than Calvin, a greater philoso- 
pher than Bacon, a greater dramatist than any 
of ancient or modern fame, a greater revivalist 
of the Churches than John Wesley — never!" said 



14 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Dr. Dobbins, of the Church of England. "As 
Mount Everest lifts its tall head not only 
above every other peak of the Himalayas, but 
above the tallest peak of every other mountain 
in the wide world, so John Wesley, as a re- 
vivalist and reformer, towers not only above 
the other great men of Methodism, but above 
the greatest in all other Churches of Christen- 
dom," said Dr. J. O. A. Clark. Though not a 
century and a half have elapsed since he 
founded the Methodist Church, yet no less 
than twenty-five millions of persons, including 
communicants and adherents to his systems, 
are his followers. 

LESSON II. 
ORIGIN OF METHODISM IN AMERICA. 

Ques. How did Methodism get into Amer- 
ica? 

Arts. The Methodism which swept through 
England as a spreading fire over a field of dry 
stubble soon crossed the Atlantic and began 
to glow and burn in America. 

Ques. When and by whom was the first 
Methodist Society formed in this country? 

Ans. 1766. It was organized by Philip Em- 
bury, a local preacher, in the city of New 



Methodist History. 15 

York. Barbara Heck, a Christian woman, lias 
the honor of being the prime mover in the 
work. Embury and Barbara Heck, emigrants 
from Ireland, were originally of German stock. 
Robert Strawbridge, from Ireland also, organ- 
ized a Methodist Society in Maryland about 
the same time. These two local preachers 
were greatly assisted in their work by a Brit- 
ish officer named Captain Webb. The first 
Methodist church was built on John Street, 
New York, in 1768. The Society consisted of 
but five members. As green forests sleep in 
the tiny cup of acorns, so grand possibilities 
slumbered in this mustard-seed of vital re- 
ligion. 

Ques. Who else pioneered Methodism in 
this country? 

Ans. 1769. Richard Boardman and Joseph 
Pilmore, the first itinerant preachers sent out 
by Mr. Wesley, arrived in America. The for- 
mer was stationed at John Street Church, New 
York, and the latter as pastor in Philadelphia. 

1771. Francis Asbury and Richard Wright 
came. The latter soon returned to England, 
but Mr. Asbury remained, and became the 
most memorable and influential man in Amer- 
ican Methodism. 



16 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ques. When was the first Conference held? 

Ans. 1773. The first Annual Conference 
was held in Philadelphia. Roll of names: 
Thomas Rankin, R. Boardman, J. Pilmore, 
Francis Asbury, R. Wright, George Shadf ord, 
Thomas Webb, John King, A. Whitworth, and 
Joseph Yearby. Thomas Rankin presided. 
The business was simple and brief. It con- 
sisted mainly in the agreement of the preach- 
ers to abide by the doctrines and discipline of 
Mr. Wesley. There were then but ten trav- 
eling preachers, six circuits, and one thousand 
one hundred and sixty members. 

Ques. When and by whom was Methodism 
introduced into Virginia and North Carolina ? 

Ans. 1774. Robert Williams began to form 
Societies in Virginia. 

1776. The first circuit was organized in 
North Carolina, and called the " Carolina " Cir- 
cuit. Robert Williams came from England, 
and landed in America in 1769. To him be- 
longs the honor of introducing Methodism 
into Virginia and North Carolina. He was a 
rousing preacher, and was instrumental in the 
salvation of many souls. 

Okganization of the Chukch. 

Ques. When were the Societies gathered by 



Methodist History. 17 

the pioneer Methodist preachers organized 
into a regularly-constituted Church? 

Ans. The "Methodist Episcopal Church" 
was formally organized December 25, 1784, 
in Baltimore, by a Conference of ministers 
called together by Dr. Coke, an assistant of 
Mr. Wesley who was sent over from England 
for the purpose of consummating such organ- 
ization. 

Ques. What was the result of this organiza- 
tion? 

Ans. The Methodists of America were no 
longer mere societies within the pale of the 
English Church, but were themselves a prop- 
erly-constituted gospel Church of God. They 
are now " a congregation of faithful men in 
which the pure word of God is preached and 
the sacraments are duly administered accord- 
ing to Christ's ordinance, in all those things 
that of necessity are requisite to the same." 
It is a Methodist Episcopal Church — not a 
Congregational nor a Presbyterian Church. 
It is a Church in which the chief officers are 
bishops who are elected and ordained to the 
work of the episcopacy. Mr. Wesley pre- 
pared a form of discipline for the use of the 
Methodists, which contained the Articles of 
2 



18 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Religion, the General Rules, a Ritual for or- 
dination, and other services of the Church. 
As already stated, the preachers assembled in 
General Conference received Dr. Coke in his 
office as bishop, and elected Francis Asbury to 
the same office, in accordance with Mr. Wes- 
ley's direction. The Conference adopted the 
Discipline as their ecclesiastical constitution, 
and thus became a regularly and fully organ- 
ized Christian Church. 



LESSON III. 

ORGANIZATION" OF THE METHODIST EPIS- 
COPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. 

Ques. When did the Methodist Episcopal 
Church separate into two distinct organiza- 
tions? 

Am. 1844. The "Plan of Separation" be- 
tween the Northern and Southern Methodists 
was agreed upon. The General Conference 
met in New York on the 1st of May. The 
feeling on the slavery question was quite 
stormy. Bishop Andrew, having become con- 
nected with slavery by marriage, was cen- 
sured by a resolution requiring him to "de- 
sist from the exercise of his office so long as 
this impediment remains," which was passed 



Methodist History. 19 

by a majority of one hundred and ten to six- 
ty-eight. There being no possibility of rec- 
onciliation, the "Plan of Separation" was 
adopted by a large majority. 

Ques. When was the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South, organized? 

Ans. 1845. The Convention, composed of 
delegates from fourteen Southern Confer- 
ences, met in Louisville, Ky., on the 1st of 
May. It was presided over by Bishops Soule 
and Andrew. The Convention proceeded to 
organize the "Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South," as an independent branch of Christ's 
Church. The doctrines of Arminianism, the 
peculiar usages, the Discipline, and the eccle- 
siastical polity of Methodism remain about 
the same in both Churches. 

Ques. When did the first General Confer- 
ence of the M. E. Church, South, meet? 

Ans. 1846. The first General Conference of 
the M. E. Church, South, met in Petersburg, 
Ya., in May. William Capers and Robert 
Paine were elected bishops. From this time 
on our General Conference has met quadren- 
nially. The Northern Church refusing to di- 
vide the property of the Book Concern in pro 
rata proportion, a suit was commenced in the 



20 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

United States Court, which was finally decided 
in favor of the Church, South. The court de- 
cided that the ministers of that Church had 
vested rights in the profits of the Book Estab- 
lishment, and by this decision the Church, 
South, held the printing establishments of 
Kichmond, Charleston, and Nashville. The 
debts due from persons residing within the 
limits of the Southern Conferences and two 
hundred and seventy thousand dollars in cash 
were paid to the M. E. Church, South. 

Ques. When was the system of lay delegates 
adopted by our Church? 

Ans. 1866. The General Conference adopt- 
ed a system of lay delegation both in the Gen- 
eral and Annual Conferences. The proba- 
tionary period of members was abolished, and 
the rule on class-meetings made voluntary in- 
stead of being compulsory. The M. E. Church, 
South, has prosecuted its work vigorousl/ 
throughout its bounds, and its statistical ta- 
bles show a rapid and steady increase in all 
the departments of Church work. 



Methodist History. 21 



Bishops of the M. E. Church, South. 

J. C. Keener, D.D New Orleans, La 

A. W. Wilson, D.D Baltimore, Mil 

J. C. Granbery, D.D St Louis, Mo. 

R. K. Hargrove, D.D Nashville, Term. 

W. W. Duncan, D.D •. Spartanburg, S. C. 

C. B. Galloway, D.D Jackson, Miss. 

E. R. Hendrix, D.D Kansas City, Mo. 

J. S. Key, D.D Fort Worth, Tex. 

Statistics of the M. E. Church, South, 1888. 

Traveling preachers 4,530 

Local preachers 5,989 

Lay members 1,107,450 

Sunday-school teachers 77,515 

Sunday-school scholars 012,519 

Churches 10,951 

Parsonages 2,030 

Total value of churches $13,835,140 

Raised for Foreign Missions 170,366 

Raised for Domestic Missions 80,865 

Raised for Conference claimants 94,088 

Raised for Church Extension 34,632 



CHAPTER II. 

Articles of Religion, 



LESSON IV. 
The Church being regularly organized and 
officered, the Articles of Religion were adopted 
as her standard of faith. The Twenty-five 
Articles of Religion were extracted by Mr. 
Wesley from the Thirty-nine Articles of the 
Church of England. We give these Articles 
with Scripture quotations, and such notes as 
tend to explain the meaning and importance 
of them. 

Aeticles of Religion. 

Repeat Article I. in reference to Faith in 
the Holy Trinity: 

" There is but one living and true God, ever- 
lasting, without body or parts ; of infinite pow- 
er, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and pre- 
server of all things, both visible and invisible. 
And in unity of this Godhead, there are three 
persons of one substance, power, and eternity 
— the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." 
(22) 



Articles of Religion. 23 

Proofs. — " Hear, Israel : The Lord our God is one 
Lord." (Deut. vi. 4.) " One God and Father of all." 
(Eph. iv. 6.) "But the Lord is the true God, he is the 
living God." (Jer. x. 10.) "From everlasting to ever- 
lasting, thou art God." (Ps. xc. 2.) " God is a Spirit." 
(John iv. 24.) "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth." 
(Rev. xix. 6.) " To God only wise, be glory." (Rom. xvi. 
27.) " The Lord is good to all : and his tender mercies 
are over all his works." (Ps. cxlv. 9.) " There are three 
that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and 
the Holy Ghost." (1 John v. 7.) 

Ques. Does the Bible attempt to prove the 
existence of God? 

Ans. No. The Bible assumes the existence 
of God. "The Architect is simply named 
in the description of the building." It is left 
to the reader to see the eternal cause in the 
stupendous effect before him. There can be 
no effect without an adequate cause. This is 
a self-evident truth. Common sense leads 
men to believe that the existence of a house 
implies a builder, the picture implies a paint- 
er, a watch implies a watch-maker. So the 
existence of the world, the earth, sun, moon, 
and stars, implies an eternal Creator. This 
universe could not have built itself; such a 
supposition is a bold contradiction, because 
it implies the existence of a thing possessed 
of creative Dowers before it did exist. 



24 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ques. What are the natural attributes of God? 
Arts. 1. He is eternal, having neither begin- 
ning nor end of years. 

2. He is omnipresent, being in all places at 
the same time. 

3. He is omniscient, knowing all things in 
heaven and earth. 

4. He is omnipotent, being able to do what- 
ever he pleases. 

5. He is immutable, having a perfect nature 
that never changes. 

6. He is an absolute unity, the essence of 
whose being is indivisible. 

7. He is also a trinity, the persons of whose 
being are three — the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Spirit. 

Ques. What are his moral attributes? 
Ans. 1. God is love, having a fatherly affec- 
tion toward the world of mankind. 

2. He is holy, being perfectly free from all 
kinds of sin and impurity. 

3. He is just, rendering to every man reward 
or punishment according to his deserts. 

4. He is merciful, always inclined to pity the 
miserable and help them. 

5. He is truthful, always representing things 
exactly as they are. . . 



Articles of Religion. 25 

Eepeat Article II. in reference to the Word, 
or Son of God, who was made very man. 

" The Son, who is the Word of the Father, 
the very and eternal God, of one substance with 
the Father, took man's nature in the womb of 
the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and 
perfect natures — that is to say, the Godhead 
and manhood — were joined together in one 
person, never to be divided, whereof is one 
Christ, very God and very man, who truly 
suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to 
reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacri- 
fice, not only for original guilt, but also for 
actual sins of men." 

Proofs. — "There is one God, and one mediator 
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 
Tim. ii. 5.) "In the beginning was the Word, and 
the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 
(John i. 1.) "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt 
among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of 
the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and 
truth." (John i. 14.) " Forasmuch then as the chil- 
dren are partakers of flesh and blood, he also him- 
self likewise took part of the same." (Heb. ii. 14.) 
"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the 
power of the Highest shall overshadow thee." (Luke 
i. 35.) 

Ques. Does the Bible teach that Christ is 
God? 



'26 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ans. Yes. Jesus Christ is God, being the 
Word, or Logos. " In the beginning was the 
Word." (John i. 1.) "For in him dwelleth 
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." (Col. 
ii. 9.) "For by him were all things created, 
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visi- 
ble and invisible, whether they be thrones, or 
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all 
things were created by him, and for him : and 
he is before all things, and by him all things 
consist. . . . For it pleased the Father 
that in him should all fullness dwell." (Col. 
i. 16-19.) 

Ques. If Jesus Christ created the world, 
what follows? 

Ans. If Christ created the world, then it 
follows necessarily that he is older than the 
world. The builder of the house must be 
older than the house. His pre-existence is 
thus established. Christ is greater than the 
universe. The maker is necessarily grander 
than the thing made. He is greater in extent, 
greater in power. His omnipresence stretches 
out far beyond the outskirts of this almost im- 
measurable universe. His omnipotence is 
greater than all the forces of nature. He 
calmed the winds that sweep in the wild rush 



Articles of Religion. 27 

of the tornado. He controls the lightning 
that shivers in splinters the sturdy oak. The 
earthquake, lifting a continent upon its gi- 
gantic shoulders, he wielded to liberate Paul 
and Silas from imprisonment. He is the own- 
er of all things. Creation gives the most 
valid title to all things made. "For him all 
things were created." All temporal things are 
but as a scaffold used to build up the great 
temple of salvation among men. 

Ques. Is Jesus Christ also man? 

Arts. Yes. Jesus Christ is man, possessing 
all the normal characteristics of humanity. 

Proofs. — "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt 
among us, . . . full of grace and truth." (John i. 
14.) "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, 
and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Je- 
sus." (Luke i. 31.) 

Ques. Are both the divine and human nat- 
ures united in Christ? 

Ans. Yes. Jesus Christ is God-man — be- 
ing the union of God and man in one person. 
As man, he slept in the ship; as God, he 
calmed the raging storm. As man, he hun- 
gered; as God, he multiplied the five loaves 
to feed five thousand people. As man, he 
wept over the grave of Lazarus; as God, he 



28 Hie Shield of the Young Methodist. 

raised him from the dead. As man, he suf- 
fered and died; as God, he raised his own 
body from the grave. 

Ques. What follows from all this? 

Ans. That Jesus Christ is both very God and 
very man; and therefore Christ is a great medi- 
ator between God and man, being the only one 
in the universe who can comply perfectly with 
all the required conditions of such mediation. 

Repeat Article III., in reference to the Res- 
urrection of Christ. 

" Christ did truly rise again from the dead, 
and took again his body, with all things ap- 
pertaining to the perfection of man's nature, 
wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there 
sitteth until he return to judge all men at the 
last day." 

Proofs. — " Go quickly, and tell his disciples that 
he is risen from the dead." (Matt, xxviii. 7.) " "But 
he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption." 
(Acts xiii. 37.) " To this end Christ both died, and 
rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the 
dead and living; . . . for we shall all stand before 
the judgment-seat of Christ." (Rom. xiv. 9, 10.) 
" But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become 
the first-fruits of them that slept." (1 Cor. xv. 20.) 

Ques. What are the proofs of Christ's res- 
urrection? 



Articles of Religion, 29 

Ans. The proofs o£ Christ's resurrection are 
abundant. Five times he showed himself alive 
on the day of his resurrection : To Mary Mag- 
dalene, to another company of women, to Pe- 
ter, to two disciples on their way to Emma- 
us, and to the eleven. Afterward he showed 
himself to St. Thomas in the prayer-meeting; 
then in Galilee to seven, and to five hundred. 
They knew him by many infallible proofs. 
He showed them the marks on his hands and 
feet, even eating and drinking with his disci- 
ples, thus proving the verity of his body. The 
Holy Spirit confirmed their faith, for while 
Peter preached the risen Christ "the Holy 
Ghost fell on all them that heard the word." 

Ques. What did his resurrection demon- 
strate ? 

Ans. It demonstrated his divinity. It estab- 
lished the truth of his own prediction: "De- 
stroy this temple, and in three days I will raise 
it up." " I lay down my life, that I may take 
it again. ... I have power to lay it down, 
and I have power to take it again." The res- 
urrection was the infallible proof of his true 
Messiahship. For either he arose by his own 
power (and if he did, then he was divine) or 
he was raised up by the power of the Father; 



30 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

and if this be so, then God sets his seal to his 
work, for God would not raise from the dead 
an impostor. 

LESSON V. 

Eepeat Article IV., in reference to the Holy 
Ghost. 

" The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Fa- 
ther and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, 
and glory, with the Father and the Son, very 
and eternal God." 

Proofs. — "Baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 
(Matt, xxviii. 19.) " When he, the Spirit of truth, is 
come, he will guide you into all truth." (John xvi. 
13.) " The Spirit itself beareth witness with our 
spirit, that we are the children of God." (Rom. viii, 
18.) "The eternal Spirit." (Heb. ix. 14.) "Holy 
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy 
Ghost." (2 Pet. i. 21.) 

Ques. What do the above Article and script- 
ures teach? 

Ans. That the Holy Ghost is a divine per- 
son, distinct from the Father and the Son. 
He proceeds from the Father and Son, and 
therefore can be neither, yet he is associated 
with the Father and Son in the divine work of 
creating and preserving all things. The per- 



Articles of Religion. 31 

sonal pronoun "he" is applied to one who is 
another Comforter. " When the Comforter is 
come, whom I will send unto you from the Fa- 
ther, . . . he shall testify of me." 

The Holy Spirit is called God. "Peter said, 
Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to 
lie to the Holy Ghost? . . . Thou hast not 
lied unto men, but unto God? " (Acts v. 3, 4.) 
He is called eternal (Heb. ix. 14), omni- 
present (Ps. cxxxix. 7), omniscient (1 Cor. 
ii. 10). To him is ascribed wisdom (Eph. i. 
17), creation (Job xxxiii. 4), inspiration (1 
Pet. i. 10,11.) 

Ques. Is the agency of the Holy Spirit 
taught in the Old Testament scriptures? 

Ans. Yes. " Let us make man in our im- 
age." "And the Spirit of God moved upon 
the face of the waters." The Spirit of God is 
creative: "The Spirit of God hath made me, 
and the breath of the Almighty hath given 
me life." He is no less active in providence: 
" My Spirit shall not always strive with man." 
He is omnipresent: "Whither shall I go from 
thy Spirit?" 

Repeat Article V., in reference to the Suffi- 
ciency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation. 

"The Holy Scriptures contain all things 



32 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is 
not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, 
is not to be required of any man, that it should 
be believed as an article of faith, or be thought 
requisite or necessary to salvation. In the 
name of the Holy Scriptures, we do under- 
stand those canonical books of the Old and 
New Testaments, of whose authority was never 
any doubt in the Church." 

Repeat the canonical books. 

" Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deu- 
teronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, The First 
Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, 
The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of 
Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Sec- 
ond Book of Chronicles, The Book of Ezra, 
The Book of Nehemiah, The Book of Esther, 
The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Prov- 
erbs, Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher, Cantica, or 
Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, 
Twelve Prophets the less. All the books of 
the New Testament, as they are commonly re- 
ceived, we do receive and account canonical." 

Proofs. — "The law of the Lord is perfect, con- 
verting the soul : the testimony of the Lord is sure, 
making wise the simple." (Ps. xix. 7.) "Search 
the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal 
life : and they are they which testify of me." (John 



Articles of Religion. 33 

v. 39.) "From a child thou hast known the holy 
Scriptures, which are ahle to make thee wise unto 
salvation." (2 Tim. iii. 15.) "All Scripture is given 
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in right- 
eousness." (2 Tim. iii. 16.) "And receive with 
meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save 
your souls." (Jas. i. 21.) 

Qites. What does the Article teach? 

Ans. This Article teaches that the Bible is 
to be appealed to in the final settlement of all 
questions of faith and 'practice. It is the rule 
of faith and practice. " The Bible is the re- 
ligion of Protestants." But the Catholic 
Church teaches that " Scripture and tradi- 
tion, and these explained by the Catholic cler- 
gy, is the rule of faith." The bulls of popes 
filling eight volumes, the Decretals, Acts of 
Councils, the Acts Sanctum, making ninety 
volumes, an unlimited mass of unwritten tra- 
ditions which have been accumulating like 
drift-wood on a river from the commence- 
ment of the Christian era up to the present 
time — all these cumbrous, human inventions 
added to the Bible — constitute the Catholic 
rule of faith. The Council of Trent decreed 
that these traditions, both written and un- 
written, are of equal authority with the Bi- 



34 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

ble, and lie that denies this shall be accursed. 
But Methodism, in common with all Protest- 
ants, teach that " the Holy Scriptures contain 
all things necessary to salvation." 

Ques. Who oppose and who recommend the 
reading of the Bible? 

Ans. The Romanists oppose the private 
reading of the Bible as a sin. But we hold 
that the truths of the Bible are addressed to 
all, and are comprehensible by all, and there- 
fore the command, " Search the Scriptures," is 
equally binding upon all. 

" The word of God is the book of the com- 
mon people; it is the working-man's book; it 
is the child's book; it is the slave's book; it 
is the book of every creature that is down- 
trodden; it is a book that carries with it the 
leaven of God's soul; it is a book that tends 
to make men larger and better and sweeter, 
and that succors them all through life; and 
do you suppose it is going to be lost out of 
the world? When the Bible is lost out of the 
world it will be because there are no men in 
it who are in trouble and need succoring, no 
men who are oppressed and need release, no 
men who are in darkness and need light, no 
men who are hungry and need food, no men 



Articles of Religion. 35 

who are sinning and need mercy, no men who 
are lost and need the salvation of God. Let 
us therefore take the word of God as our 
friend, and hold it to our heart, and make it 
the man of our counsel, our guide, the lamp to 
our feet, the light to our path. Use it as God 
meant it to be used — as the soul's food and 
the soul's joy — and it shall be your life's rest." 



LESSON VI. 

Repeat Article VI., in reference to the Old 
Testament. 

" The Old Testament is not contrary to the 
New; for both in the Old and New Testa- 
ments everlasting life is offered to mankind 
by Christ, who is the only Mediator between 
God and man, being God and man. "Where- 
fore they are not to be heard who feign that 
the old fathers did look only for transitory 
promises. Although the law given from God by 
Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, doth 
not bind Christians, nor ought the civil pre- 
cepts thereof of necessity to be received in any 
commonwealth, yet, notwithstanding, no Chris- 
tian whatsoever is free from the obedience of 
the commandments which are called moral." 



36 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Proofs. — " Beginning at Moses and all the proph- 
ets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures 
the things concerning himself." "And he said unto 
them, These are the words which I spake unto you, 
while I was yet with you, that all things must be 
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, 
and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning 
me." (Luke xxiv. 27, 44.) "Think not that I am 
come to destroy the law, or the prophets : I am not 
come to destroy, hut to fulfill." (Matt. v. 17.) 

Ques. How do you prove the harmony of 
the Old and New Testaments ? 

Ans. The harmony of the Old and New Tes- 
taments is clearly seen in the fact that Christ 
and the apostles made frequent quotations 
from the former. Some writer has shown 
that about ninety quotations from the Old 
Testament are found in the teachings of 
Christ. To establish the resurrection against 
the Sadducees, Christ quotes from Exodus iii. 
6; to establish the primitive institution of 
marriage, from Genesis i. 27; to answer the 
question as to the great commandment, from 
Deuteronomy vi. 5; to show that David's son 
was David's Lord, from Psalm ex. 1; to preach 
a sermon, from Isaiah lxi. 1. Besides these 
and many more, there are references in our 
Lord's discourses to Jonah as a type of the 



Articles of Religion. 37 

resurrection; to the brazen serpent; to the 
living water and manna in the desert; to Abel, 
Noah, Abraham, Lot, Solomon, Moses, Elijah, 
and Daniel. When tempted by the devil, his 
great weapon of defense was: " It is written." 
It is clear that Christ studied the Old Script- 
ures with devoted care, and made constant 
use of their truths in his teachings. " The 
two Testaments — Old and New — like two 
breasts of the same person, give the same 
milk." The river of salvation took its rise 
in the mountains of Judea, and descended 
into the plain of the gospel, and, like the Nile, 
spread beauty and fertility along its deepen- 
ing and widening course. 

Repeat Article VII., in reference to Orig- 
inal or Birth Sin. 

" Original Sin standeth not in the following 
of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), 
but it is the corruption of the nature of every 
man, that naturally is engendered of the off- 
spring of Adam, whereby man is very far 
gone from original righteousness, and of his 
own nature inclined to evil, and that contin- 
ually." 

Proofs. — "By one man sin entered into the 
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon 



38 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

all men, for that all have sinned," (Eom. v. 12.) 
" By one man's disobedience many were made sin- 
ners." (Eom. v. 19.) " Behold, I was shapen in in- 
iquity ; and in sin did my mother conceive me." 
(Ps. li. 5.) "'And were by nature the children of 
wrath, even as others." (Eph. ii. 3.) 

Qaes. What did the Pelagians teach? 

Ans. The doctrine of the Pelagians was 
that children are born pure and innocent, 
and that they become corrupt by outside in- 
fluences, by imitating or following evil exam- 
ples, by vicious education and society. 

Ques. What is the true view? 

Ans. The orthodox view is that this native 
corruption is derived from a sinful ancestry, 
in whose loss of purity their whole posterity 
is involved. This view represents the deprav- 
ity of human nature as coining from the laws 
of natural descent, the child inheriting from 
the parent a corrupt nature, prone to evil, in 
consequence of which he runs easily into 
open sin. Adam "begat a son in his own 
likeness." (Gen. v. 3.) "Behold, I was 
shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother 
conceive me." (Ps. li. 5. ) " From within, out 
of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts." 
(Mark vii. 21.) On these passages and oth- 
ers the doctrine of original sin is based. 



Articles of Religion. 39 

There is nothing unreasonable in this doc- 
trine, for it is well known that men do 
transmit bodily ailments and mental pecul- 
iarities to their children. Dishonest men 
tend to have dishonest children. Thieves 
tend to breed thieves; murderers, murderers; 
drunkards, drunkards; insane men propagate 
insanity. 

Ques. What benefits do children derive from 
the atonement of Christ? 

Ans. " The benefits of Christ's death are co- 
extensive with the sin of Adam (Eom. v. 18); 
hence all children dying in infancy partake 
of the free gift." "Infants are not indeed 
born justified; nor are they capable of that 
voluntary acceptance of the benefits of the 
free gift which is necessary in the case of 
adults; but on the other hand they cannot 
reject it, and it is by the rejection of it that 
adults perish. The process by which grace 
is communicated to infants is not revealed. 
The manner doubtless differs from that em- 
ployed toward adults." (Watson.) "Chil- 
dren are born into the world sustaining 
through the atonement such a relation to 
the moral kingdom of God as that they are 
proper subjects of God's regenerating grace, 



40 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

and those dying in infancy come into actual 
possession of all these blessings. They may 
now be prepared for and admitted into the 
kingdom by the grace of God. This is suffi- 
ciently evident from our Lord's words: 'Suf- 
fer the little children to come unto me, and 
forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom 
of heaven.'" (Dr. Raymond.) 

Ques. How soon may we look for the con- 
version of children? 

Ans. Christ says: " Except ye be converted, 
and become as little children, ye shall not en- 
ter into the kingdom of heaven." "VVe reverse 
his saying. Our reading to the children is: 
"Except ye become as grown men and be 
converted." The vine need not trail on the 
ground till it is ten years old, and then be 
trained on the trellis. The only way to in- 
sure a good peach is to cut back the stick 
that grows from the stone, and put on a new 
graft. In God's kingdom the best fruit grows 
from the stone. The son need not wander off 
from his father's home, spend his substance. 
in riotous living, and eat the husks that the 
swine do feed on, in order to be acceptable to 
his father, and have the best robe and the 
ring and the fatted calf. The immeasurable 



Articles of Religion. 41 

love of God gives us this infinite grace not 
because of our wanderings, but in spite of 
them. How old must a rose-bud be before it 
receives that life that enables it to blossom? 
It may be stunted and dwarfed and die; the 
blossom may never come. But the normal 
law of God is rose-bud and blossom on every 
bush. 

LESSON VII. 

Eepeat Article VIII., in reference to Free 
Will. 

"The condition of man after the fall of 
Adam is such, that he cannot turn and pre- 
pare himself, by his own natural strength and 
works, to faith, and calling upon God; where- 
fore we have no power to do good works, 
pleasant and acceptable to God, without the 
grace of God by Christ preventing us, that 
we may have a good will, and working with 
us, when we have that good will." 

Proofs. — "I am the vine, ye are the branches. 
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bring- 
eth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do 
nothing." (John xv. 5.) "When we were yet 
without strength, in due time Christ died for the 
ungodly." (Rom. v. 6.) "You hath he quickened, 
who were dead in trespasses and sins." (Eph. ii. 1.) 



42 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ques. What does " preventing " mean in the 
Article? 

Ans. The term "preventing" here has the 
old English meaning of "going before and 
helping." 

Ques. What power is necessary to convert 
man? 

Ans. Man is convicted and converted by 
the power of the Holy Ghost, but the will of 
man must co-operate in the work. The Divine 
Spirit is like the mother's heart. It is uni- 
versal and infinite. It is the mother-soul of 
the universe, with infinite power and sweet- 
ness and beauty and glory, shining down upon 
all men, good and bad, high and low, ignorant 
and educated, and stimulating them to be 
better, to be nobler, to be higher; and when 
any man accepts the influence of the Di- 
vine Spirit, and co-operates with it, that mo- 
ment the work is done by the stimulus of God 
acting with the practical energy and will of 
the human soul. 

Ques. Must man co-operate with the Spirit 
in working out his salvation? 

Ans. Yes. "Work out your own salvation 
with fear and trembling: for it is God which 
worketh in you both to will and to do of his 



Articles of Religion. 43 

good pleasure." The Divine Spirit is atmos- 
pheric, and it becomes personal whenever any 
person appropriates it. The sunlight has in 
it all harvests; but we do not reap a single 
thing until that sunlight is appropriated by 
some root or some leaf or some blossom or 
something in the ground. The sunlight on 
the Sahara has neither wheat nor corn. These 
are only to be had in the field where seeds 
are planted, where the nature of the seeds 
works with the sunlight, and where the soil 
is quickened and stimulated by the heat and 
moisture. The divine influence works in men 
to will and to do by their nature, by their 
very law of organization ; and when a man be- 
comes converted, it is by both the divine in- 
fluence and the exercise of his own energies — 
i. <?., they co-operate. It is a unitary, although 
a complex, work. 

Repeat Article IX., in reference to the Jus- 
tification of Man. 

"We are accounted righteous before God, 
only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own 
works or deservings: wherefore, that we are 
justified by faith only, is a most wholesome 
doctrine, and very full of comfort." 



44 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Proofs. — " By grace are ye saved through faith; 
and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God : 
not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 
ii. 8, 9.) " Therefore we conclude that a man is jus- 
tified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Rom. 
iii. 28.) "Being justified by faith, we have peace 
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 
v. 1.) 

Ques. What doctrine is taught in this Ar- 
ticle? 

Ans. 1. The originating cause of justifica- 
tion is the free, spontaneous love of God. 
" God so loved the world, that he gave his only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
might not perish, but have everlasting life." 

2. The meritorious ground of pardon is the 
atonement of Jesus Christ. It is through 
Jesus Christ We are " justified by his blood," 
" reconciled to God by the death of his Son." 
Christ " once suffered for sins." 

3. Personal faith is the instrumental cause 
of justification. It is through faith. "Be- 
ing justified by faith." Saving faith excludes 
works as a ground of justification. It is not 
by the merit of faith itself, but only by faith, 
as that which embraces and appropriates the 
merit of Christ. Faith is the hand receiving 
the gift of salvation. 



Articles of Religion. 45 

Results: First, restoration to divine favor. 
"We have peace with God." Second, adop- 
tion into the family of God. "If children, 
then heirs; heirs of God." "Whom he justi- 
fies, them he also glorifies." 



LESSON V1IL 

Repeat Article X., in reference to Good 
Works. 

"Although good works, which are the fruits 
of faith, and follow after justification, cannot 
put away our sins, and endure the severity of 
God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and 
acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out 
of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by 
them a lively faith may be as evidently known 
as a tree is discerned by its fruit." 

Proofs. — " Ity the deeds of the law there shall no 
flesh be justified in his sight." (Rom. iii. 20.) " ]\ T ot 
by works of righteousness which we have done, but 
according to his mercy he saved us." (Tit. iii. v.) 
" Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command 
you." (John xv. 14.) "Blessed are they that do 
his commandments, that they may have right to the 
tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into 
the city." (Rev. xxii, 14.) "A man may say, Thou 
hast faith, and I have works : shew me thy faith with- 
out thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my 



46 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

works. . . . Faith without works is deach" (Jas. 
ii. 18-20. See also parable of talents, Matt. xxv. 13.) 

Ques. What is the teaching of the Bible as 
to faith and good works? 

Ans. The Bible clearly teaches that faith in 
Christ is the ground of salvation, but that 
good works are the measure of our reward. 
Saved by faith, but preserved by good works, 
is the true doctrine. Good works may be de- 
fined to be "right motives flowing out into 
right actions." Good works are the outward 
expression of good feelings. Grace in the 
heart is the fountain; the good works are the 
streams flowing from it. Love and good works 
are fountain and stream; and in proportion 
to the fullness of the lake of grace in the heart 
will be the greatness, beauty, and fertility of 
the rivers of good works flowing from it. A 
feeble fountain will produce a feeble stream. 

Ques. What does this Article condemn? 

Ans. The Article also levels its force against 
the Catholic doctrine of good works as hav- 
ing an atoning merit in them. Thus, it was 
taught that when men made pilgrimages, went 
through a course of fasting, gave donations, 
repeated the Credo, the Ave, the Pater Noster, 
these were set down to their credit as so much 



Articles of Religion. 47 

over against wrong-doing. They falsely as- 
sumed religion to be a mere business, con- 
ducted as the transactions of a man's store, 
where books of debit and credit were kept. 



LESSON IX. 

Eepeat Article XL, in reference to Works 
of Supererogation. 

"Voluntary works, besides over and above 
God's commandments, which are called works 
of supererogation, cannot be taught without 
arrogancy and impiety. For by them men 
do declare that they do not only render unto 
God as much as they are bound to do, but that 
they do more for his sake than of bounden 
duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly, 
When ye have done all that is commanded 
you, say, We are unprofitable servants." 

Peoofs. — "Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, 
that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that 
thou makest thy ways perfect." (Job. xxii. 3.) " So 
likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things 
which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable 
servants : we have done that which was our duty to 
do." (Luke xvii. 10.) 

Ques. What error of the Catholic Church is 
condemned by this Article? 



48 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

Ans. The error of the Catholic Church 
against which this Article is directed teaches 
that "there is an immense treasure of merit 
composed of the pious deeds of the saints, 
which they have performed beyond what was 
necessary for their own salvation, and which 
were applicable to the benefit of others." But 
the Bible teaches that the circle of duty takes 
in the entire ability of man, and therefore 
leaves no room for the work of supereroga- 
tion. Out of the doctrine of supererogation 
came the wicked system of selling indulgences 
to commit sin, which so shocked Luther as to 
move him to begin and carry on the great 
work of the German Reformation. 

Bepeat Article XII., in reference to Sin 
after Justification. 

"Not every sin willingly committed after 
justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, 
and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant of 
repentance is not to be denied to such as fall 
into sin after justification: after we have re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost, we may depart from 
grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the 
grace of God, rise again and amend our lives. 
And, therefore, they are to be condemned who 
say they can no more sin as long as they live 



A ) -tides of Relig ion. 49 

here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such 
as truly repent." 

Proofs.— "Return, ye backsliding children, and 
I will heal your backslidings." (Jer. iii. 22.) " If 
any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, 
Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John ii. 1.) "If 
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive 
us our sins." (1 John i. 9.) " Remember therefore 
from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the. 
first works." (Rev. ii. 5.) 

Ques. What error does this Article con- 
demn? 

Ans. This Article denies the dogma an- 
ciently taught by some, that every sin com- 
mitted after justification is the sin against 
the Holy Ghost. 

Ques. What is the sin against the Holy 
Ghost? 

Ans. The sin against the Holy Ghost is as- 
cribing the miraculous works of Christ to the 
agency of the devil. The scribes said: "He 
[Christ] hath Beelzebub, and by the prince 
of the devils casteth he out devils." And 
Christ, commenting on this charge, says : " But 
he that shall blaspheme against the Holy 
Ghost hath never forgiveness. . . . Be- 
cause they said, He hath an unclean spirit." 
The unpardonable sin is that grade of wick- 
4 



50 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

edness and settled malignity, that hardening 
of the heart, which is not the result of igno- 
rance, but of a deliberate, systematic, and 
persevering opposition to clearly-demonstrat- 
ed and unmistakable truth. 

Ques. "What is the moral state of such sin- 
ners ? 

Ans. They have reached such a state of 
moral desperation that they will not ask or 
receive pardon on the conditions of the gos- 
pel. The unpardonable state is in the man, 
not in the unwillingness of God to forgive. 
The sign of this condition is utter moral in- 
sensibility. Wherever there is spiritual sen- 
sibility enough to make a man fear he has 
committed it, it is certain proof that he has 
not. 

LESSON X. 

Repeat Article XIII., in reference to the 
Church. 

" The visible Church of Christ is a congre- 
gation of faithful men, in which the pure 
word of God is preached, and the sacraments 
duly administered, according to Christ's or- 
dinance, in all those things that of necessity 
are requisite to the same." 



Articles of Religion. 



Pkoofs. — "Unto the Church of God, . * . to 
them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be 
saints, with all that in every place call upon the 
name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." 
(1 Cor. i. 2.) "And he gave some, apostles; and 
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, 
pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, 
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the 
body of Christ." (Eph. iv. 11, 12.) 

Ques. What four fundamental points are 
involved in the foregoing definition of a gos- 
pel Church? 

Ans. In the analysis we have: (1) A con- 
gregation of faithful men. (2) The recogni- 
tion of the Bible or the true word of God as 
the rule of faith and practice. (3) The rec- 
ognition of the living ministry, to preach and 
expound this word. ( 4 ) The sacraments ( bap- 
tism and the Lord's Supper) properly admin- 
istered. These are the four corner-stones of 
the Church, which Christ founded on the 
rock — his own divine character. The defini- 
tion harmonizes perfectly with the elements 
found in the apostolic Church as described in 
the Acts of the Apostles, and allows all Meth- 
odists to recognize all other denominations 
that come in the scope of the foregoing defi- 
nition as being gospel Churches. 



52 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Qnes. What is the cause of denominational 
exclusiveness ? 

A us. Denominational exclusiveness grows 
out of a false definition of what a gospel 
Church is. To illustrate, the Romanish au-. 
thority defines a Church thus: "The company 
of Christians knit together by the profession 
of the same faith and communion of the same 
sacraments, under the government of lawful 
pastors, and especially of the Roman bishop 
as the only vicar of Christ on earth." Thus 
it makes the supremacy of the pope an essen- 
tial element of a gospel Church. Consequent- 
ly, it would logically follow that the Catholic 
is the only true Church. Hence Romish big- 
otry. The Baptists define: "A visible Church 
of Christ is a congregation of baptized [im- 
.mersed] believers," etc. This definition cuts 
off all Churches whose members are not im- 
mersed. Hence their exclusiveness. 
Notes. 

1. The entire body of regenerated believers 
in every period of time, in earth, or in heaven, 
is termed the general Church. 

Proof. — " I bow my knees unto the Father of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in 
heaven and earth is named." (Eph. iii. 14, 15.) 



Articles of lieMgioH. ud 



2. All persons, adults or infants, baptized 
or unbaptizecl, in heathen 01* Christian lands, 
members or not members of the organized 
Churchy who are in a salvable or justified 
state, constitute the invisible Church. 

Proof.*—'" Then Peter opened his month, and said* 
Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of 
persons: bnt in every nation lie that feareth him, 
and Worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.'* 
(Acts x. 34, 35.) 

3. Converted persons, while contending with 
evil on earth, constitute the Church militant; 
while those saved in heaven constitute the 
Church triumphant. 

Bepeat Article XI V., in reference to Pur- 
gatory, 

"The Bomish doctrine concerning purga- 
tory, pardons, worshiping and adoration, as 
Well of images as of relics, and also invoca- 
tion of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, 
and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture; 
but repugnant to the Word of God/' 

Proofs. — "Who can forgive sins bnt God 011I3-." 
(Mark ii. ?.) "Thou shalt Hot make Unto thee any 
graven image. 5 ' (Ex. XX; 4.) " Thou shalt worship 
the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. fi 
(Matt. iv. 10.) 

Qaes, What does this Article condemn? 



oi The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Am. This Article condemns a cluster of 
Romish errors, The first is that of purga- 
tory. The doctrine of the Romish purgatory 
implies a second probation for certain men. 
But the Bible teaches that there is no second 
probation after death. "In the place where 
the tree falleth, there it shall be." (Eccl. xi. 
3.) "He that is unjust, let him be unjust 
still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy 
still." (Eev. xxii, 11.) "Whatsoever a man 
soweth, that shall he also reap." (Gal. vi. 7.) 
We are cleansed from sin not by purgatorial 
fires, but by the blood of Christ. There is 
not a single passage of scripture, properly 
expounded, favoring this doctrine. The sec- 
ond error is priestly absolution, God alone 
exercises the right to pardon sin. " Who can 
forgive sins but God only?" (Mark ii. 7.) 
The third is image-worship, which is posi- 
tively forbidden. " Thou shalt not make unto 
thee any graven image." (Ex. xx. 4.) "I 
fell down to worship before the feet of the 
angel which showed me these things, Then 
saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for 
I am thy fellow - servant : . . . worship 
God." (Rev. xxii. 8, 9.) The fourth error 
is praying to departed saints to intercede in 



Articles of Rett (j lorh 55 

behalf of men on earth. This doctrine makes 
saints sub-mediators between God and men, 
whereas the word teaches that "there is one 
God, and one mediator between God and men, 
the man Christ Jesus," (1 Tim, ii. 5.) 



LESSON XL 

Bepeat Article XT*, in reference to Speak- 
ing to the Congregation in such a Tongue as 
the People understand, 

"It is a thing plainly repugnant to the 
word of God, and the custom of the Primitive 
Church, to have public prayer in the church, 
or to minister the sacraments, in a tongue not 
understood by the people." 

Proofs.—-" He that speaketh in an unknown tongue 
speaketh not unto men, but unto God : for no man 
understandeth him." "In the Church 1 had rather 
speak five words with my understanding, . ♦ , 
than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.'' 
(1 Cor. xiv. 2, 19.) 

Ques, What does this Article condemn? 

Ans. This Article justly condemns the 
Boman Catholic practice of reading the serv- 
ices in the Latin language to English congre- 
gations. It is " plainly repugnant to the word 
of God." To conduct the public prayers of 



56 The Shield of the Youny Methodist. 

the Church in an unknown tongue is not only 
contrary to common sense, but to the custom 
of the Primitive Church. In 202 A.D. Ori- 
gen said: "The Grecians pray to God in the 
Greek; the Romans, in the Roman; and every 
one in his own tongue." The modern prac- 
tice of intoning prayers and other parts of 
religious worship is also unintelligible, and 
opposed to reasonable service." 

Repeat Article XVI., in reference to the 
Sacraments. 

"Sacraments, ordained of Christ, are not 
only badges or tokens of Christian men's pro- 
fession, but rather they are certain signs of 
grace, and God's good will toward us, by the 
which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth 
not only quicken, but also strengthen and 
confirm our faith in him. 

"There are two sacraments ordained of 
Christ our Lord in the gospel; that is to say, 
Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. 

" Those five, commonly called sacraments — 
that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, 
Matrimony, and Extreme Unction — are not to 
be counted for sacraments of the gospel, being 
such as have partly grown out of the corrupt 
following of the apostles, and partly are states 



Articles of Iieiigion. 57 

of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet liave 
not the like nature of Baptism and the Lord's 
Supper, because they have not any visible 
sign or ceremony ordained of God, 

" The sacraments were not ordained of Christ 
to be gazed upon, or to be carried about; but 
that we should duly use them. And in such 
only as worthily receive the same, they have 
a wholesome effect or operation; but they that 
receive them unworthily purchase to them- 
selves condemnation, as St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. 
xi. 29." 

Proofs. — Christ ordained but two positive sacra- 
ments — Baptism and the Lord's Supper. See Mat- 
thew xxviii. 19; xxvi. 2G; 1 Corinthians xi. 23. 

Ques. What are the five sacraments. ? 

Ans. The five sacraments of the Catholic 
Church are: Confirmation, Penance, Orders, 
Matrimony, and Extreme Unction. 

Ques. Define these sacraments. 

Ans. Confirmation in the Boman Church is 
a service by which those baptized in infancy 
publicly take upon themselves the obligations 
of the baptismal covenant, and voluntarily 
confirm and recognize their Church-member- 
ship. The service in itself is proper enough, 
but not such in solemn dignity as to entitle 



58 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

it to be placed in the same rank with baptism 
and the Lord's Supper, The same may be 
said of "orders" or the ordination ceremony 
of the ministry, and of matrimony. Roman 
penance is a service by which a penitent hav« 
ing sinned and made auricular confession, the 
priest grants pardon for sins committed after 
baptism. This so-called sacrament is founded 
upon the assumption that the priest has power 
to forgive sin, which Protestantism regards 
as blasphemous. Extreme unction is a serv- 
ice consisting in anointing with holy oil per- 
sons at the point of death, by which sins are 
forgiven and grace imparted. 

LESSON XIL 

Repeat Article XVII., in reference to Bap- 
tism. 

" Baptism is not only a sign of profession, 
and mark of difference, whereby Christians 
are distinguished from others that are not 
baptized, but it is also a sign of regeneration, 
or the new birth. The baptism of young 
children is to be retained in the Church." 

Proofs. — "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away 
thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 
xxii. 16.) " Except a man be born of water and of 



Articles of Religion* 59 

the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." 
(John iii. 5.) "He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved.'' (Mark xvi. 16.) 

Ques. What does this Article define bap- 
tism to be? 

Ansl 1. A sign of profession. It is a pro- 
fession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of 
God. When a person makes a profession of 
faith baptism is a sign of that profession, and 
a pledge of loyalty to God and the Church. 
It is a profession of faith in all the funda- 
mental doctrines of salvation as taught by 
Christ. "See, here is water; what doth hin- 
der me to be baptized? And Philip said, If 
thou believest with all thine heart, thou may- 
est. And he answered and said, I believe that 
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. . . . And 
he baptized him." (Acts viii. 36-38.) 

2. Baptism is " a mark of difference whereby 
Christians are distinguished from others that 
are not baptized." The Jew was distinguished 
from the Gentile by the significant mark or 
sign of circumcision. In the Christian Church 
baptism in the name of the Trinity takes the 
place of circumcision. By circumcision the 
Jew entered into the Jewish Church; by bap- 
tism we enter into the Christian Church. 



60 The Shield of the Young Methodist, 

3; It is also a sign of regeneration, The 
cleansing Water is a fit sign of the cleansing 
power of the Holy Ghost 

Bepeat Article XVIII., in reference to the 
Lord's Snpper. 

" The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign 
of the love that Christians ought to have 
among themselves one to another, but rather 
is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's 
death ; insomuch that to such as rightly, wor- 
thily, and with faith, receive the same, the 
bread which we break is a partaking of the 
body of Christ; and likewise the cup of bless- 
ing is a partaking of the blood of Christ 

" Transubstantiation, or the change of the 
substance of bread and wine in the Supper of 
the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy "Writ, 
but is repugnant to the plain words of Script- 
ure, overthroweth the nature of a sacrament, 
and hath given occasion to many supersti- 
tions. 

" The body of Christ is given, taken, and 
eaten, in the Supper, only after a heavenly 
and spiritual manner. And the means where- 
by the body of Christ is received and eaten, 
in the Supper, is faith. 

"The sacrament of the Lord's Supper was 



Articles of Religion. 61 

not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried 
about, lifted up, or worshiped. " 

Pkoof. — "And he took bread, and gave thanks, 
and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is 
my body which is given for you : this do in remem- 
brance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, 
saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, 
which is shed for you." (Luke xxii. 19, 20.) 

Ques. By what names is the Lord's Supper 
called? 

Ans. It is called the "Lord's Supper," be- 
cause it was first instituted in the evening, 
and at the close of the Passover supper. It 
is called a "sacrament," which means an oath 
of renewed allegiance to Christ. It is called 
the "Eucharist," which means the giving of 
thanks. " He took bread and gave thanks," a 
" communion " to express Christian fellowship. 

Ques. What is its import? 

Ans. The import of the Supper is a com- 
memoration. "This do in remembrance of 
me." It took the place of the Passover, which 
commemorated the deliverance of the Israel- 
ites from Egyptian bondage. The suffering 
of Christ delivers the world from Satanic 
bondage. A father once kept a canceled 
bond for his family to look upon, and see 
how he had paid a heavy debt, through much 



62 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

self-sacrifice, to make them happy. So Christ 
has canceled the claim of justice against lis, 
"nailing it to his cross." In the Lord's Sup- 
per his family look upon this bond. 

Ques. What have you to say about transub- 
stantiation? 

Ans. Transubstantiation is a Romish ab- 
surdity. Being in bodily x^erson in heaven, 
and at the right hand of the throne of the 
Father, Christ cannot at the same time be visi- 
bly and bodily in the hands of the priests, nor 
on hundreds of altars at once. The expression, 
" This is my body," is a Hebraism for " This 
represents my body." It is clearly a figure, 
as: "I am the vine," "I am the door," "I am 
the way," "the seven good kine are seven 
years." Besides, if the bread and wine be 
actually changed into the real flesh arid blood 
of Christ, how could these material things 
nourish and feed the soul, which is a spiritual 
substance? " It is the Spirit that quickeneth; 
the flesh profiteth nothing" in feeding the 
soul. While the Lutherans renounce the 
doctrine of a 7>tf?? substantiation, they affirm a 
co?? substantiation, which is akin to the real 
presence of the Catholics. But in the light 
of common sense, both the trans and the con 



A ) i ides of Relig io n. 63 

are alike contrary to truth. The true doc- 
trine is: A sacrament is a holy ordinance in- 
stituted by Christ, wherein by sensible signs 
Christ and the benefits of the new covenant 
are represented, sealed, and applied to believ- 
ers. The sacrament is to be taken after a 
heavenly and spiritual manner. Its benefit 
depends upon the faith of the communicant. 
The astronomer does not worship the tele- 
scope, but looks through it out and beyond to 
the stars in the heavens. So the bread and 
wine are as a telescope, through which the 
eye of faith looks to Christ dying on the 
cross for the sins of the world. " This do in 
remembrance of me." 



LESSON XIII. 

Repeat Article XIX., in reference to Both 
Kinds. 

"The cup of the Lord is not to be denied 
to the lay people; for both the parts of the 
Lord's Supper, by Christ's ordinance and 
commandment, ought to be administered to 
all Christians alike." 

Proofs.— "Pie [Jesus] took the cup, and gave 
thanks, and gave it to them [the disciples], saying, 



64 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Drink ye all of it." (Matt. xxvi. 27.) (i For as often 
as ye [believers in common] eat this bread, and drink 
this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come 
. . . But let a man [the believer] examine himself, 
and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that 
cup." (1 Cor. xi. 26-28.) 

Ques. Were both bread and wine adminis- 
tered by Christ originally to the disciples ? 

Ans. Yes; both the bread and wine were 
originally administered by onr Lord to the 
apostles, and both elements were ordered to 
be given to the lay people until the coming 
of Christ. The command is: "Drink ye all 
of it." Surely Paul was not addressing the 
clergy when he wrote his epistle to the Co- 
rinthian Church, in which he said: " Let a man 
examine himself, and so let him eat of that 
bread and drink of that cup." 

Ques. Out of what error does this one grow? 

Ans. This Romish error grows out of the 
greater one of transubstantiation. The pa- 
pists teach that after the bread and wine are 
changed into the flesh and blood of Christ 
he is whole and entire in either bread or 
wine; and so, whatever part the communicant 
may receive, he receives the whole of Christ. 
Therefore that Church has decreed to give 
"the laity only in one kind." And whosoever 



Articles of Religion. 65 

does not believe with that Church, it says: 
"Let him be accursed." 

Repeat Article XX., in reference to the 
One Oblation of Christ, finished npon the 
Cross. 

" The offering of Christ, once made, is that 
perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfac- 
tion for all the sins of the whole world, both 
original and actual; and there is none other 
satisfaction for sin but that alone. "Where- 
fore -the sacrifice of masses, in which it is 
commonly said that the priest doth offer 
Christ for the quick and the dead, to have 
remission of pain or guilt, is a blasphemous 
fable and dangerous deceit." 

Proofs. — " So Christ was once offered to bear the 
sins of many." (Heb. ix. 28.) " Knowing that Christ 
being raised from the dead dieth no more; . . . for 
in that he died, he died unto sin onee." (Rom. vi. 
9, 10.) " Neither is there salvation in any other : for 
there is none other name under heaven given among 
men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts iv. 12.) 
"There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." (Heb. 
x. 26.) "After he had offered one sacrifice for sins 
forever, sat down on the right hand of God. . . . 
For by one offering he hath perfected forever them 
that are sanctified." (Heb. x. 12-14.) 

Ques. What error is condemned by this 
Article? 
5 



66 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Arts. This Article condemns as a blasphe- 
mous fable the dogma of the Catholic Church 
which affirms that Christ is offered afresh for 
sin every time the mass is celebrated, and 
teaches the Protestant doctrine that Christ 
made but one offering of himself for sin, and 
that this offering is perfect — complete in every 
respect — and forever final. Therefore "the 
Romish sacrifice of the mass has no sanction, 
but is utterly condemned in the Epistle to 
the Hebrews." 

LESSON XIV. 

Repeat Article XXI., in reference to Mar- 
riage of Ministers. 

"The ministers of Christ are not com- 
manded by God's law either to vow the estate 
of single life, or to abstain from marriage; 
therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other 
Christians, to marry at their own discretion, 
as they shall judge the same to serve best to 
godliness." 

Proofs. — The Apostle Peter was a married man. 
"When Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw 
his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever." (Matt. 
viii. 14.) Philip the evangelist " had four daughters, 
virgins, which did prophesy." (Acts xxi. 9.) Paul 
says : "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband 



Articles of Religion. 67 

of one wife." (1 Tim. iii. 2.) " Let the deacons be 
the husbands of one wife." (1 Tim. iii. 12.) " Have 
we not power to lead about ... a wife, as well 
as other apostles? " (1 Cor. ix. 5.) 

Ques. Does the Romish Church forbid her 
ministers to marry? 

Arts. Yes; that Church has commanded 
her ministers not to marry, which command 
they strictly obey. And forbidding to marry 
is the sign of an apostate Church. (1 Tim. 
iv. 1-3.) But the Romish Church not only 
forbids marriage to her clergy, but has exalted 
the marriage of the laity to the unscriptural 
dignity of a sacrament. What bold absurd- 
ities and gross errors! 

Repeat Article XXII., in reference to the 
Rites and Ceremonies of Churches. 

"It is not necessary that rites and ceremo- 
nies should in all places be the same, or ex- 
actly alike; for they have been always differ- 
ent, • and may be changed according to the 
diversity of countries, times, and men's man- 
ners, so that nothing be ordained against 
God's word. Whosoever, through his pri- 
vate judgment, willingly and purposely doth 
openly break the rites and ceremonies of the 
Church to which he belongs, which are not 



68 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

repugnant to the word of God, and are or- 
dained and approved by common authority, 
ought to be rebuked openly, that others may 
fear to do the like, as one that offendeth 
against the common order of the Church and 
woundeth the consciences of weak brethren. 

"Every particular Church may ordain, 
change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, so 
that all things may be done to edification." 

Proofs. — "As free, and not using your liberty for 
a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God." 
(1 Pet. ii. 16.) "Let every man be fully persuaded 
in his own mind." (Rom. xiv. 5.) "Let all things 
be done unto edifying." (1 Cor. xiv. 2G.) "The 
kingdom of God is not meat and drink." (Rom. 
xiv. 17.) 

Qites. What does this Article teach? 

Ans. 1. The doctrines and institutions of 
• the Christian religion are positive and un- 
changeable, while her rites and ceremonies 
are circumstantial. Baptism may be admin- 
istered by pouring or immersion; the ele- 
ments of the Lord's Supper may be received 
sitting or kneeling; prayers maybe offered in 
public kneeling or standing; we may stand or 
sit in singing, etc. 

2. This Article opposes the Catholics, who 



Articles of Religion, 69 

maintain that the authority of the Church is 
supreme, and whatever rite she may ordain — 
though it becomes obsolete and useless — is of 
supreme and endless obligation. It teaches 
that whenever a ceremony becomes a hinder- 
ance to the real progress of the Church it is 
to be laid aside. When uew ones are needed 
they are to be used. The law of expediency 
is to reign in these matters. 

3. This Article also teaches that when 
rites and ceremonies are "ordained and ap- 
proved" by the proper authorities of the 
Church they are not to be tampered with by 
private individuals. No person is allowed 
"through his private judgment" to set them 
aside. This secures uniformity in Church 
ceremonies. 

LESSON XV. 

Repeat Article XXIII. , in reference to the 
Rulers of the United States of America. 

" The President, the Congress, the general 
assemblies, the governors, and the councils of 
State, as the delegates of the people, are the 
rulers of the United States of America, ac- 
cording to the division of power made to them 
by the Constitution of the United States, and 



70 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

by the Constitution of their respective States. 
And the said States are a sovereign and in- 
dependent nation, and ought not to be subject 
to any foreign jurisdiction." 

Proof. — "Let every soul be subject unto the 
higher powers. For there is no power but of God : 
the powers that be are ordained of God. . . . For 
rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. 
. . . For he is the minister of God to thee for 
good." (Rom. xiii. 1-4.) 

Ques. What is the teaching of the Meth- 
odist Church in respect to obeying civil au- 
thority ? 

Ans. "As far as it respects civil affairs, we 
believe it the duty of Christians, and espe- 
cially all Christian ministers, to be subject to 
the supreme authority o£ the country where 
they may reside, and to use all laudable 
means to enjoin obedience to the powers that 
be; and, therefore, it is expected that all our 
preachers and people, who may be under any 
foreign government, will behave themselves 
as peaceable and orderly subjects." (Note of 
the Discipline.) 

Eepeat Article XXI V., in reference to 
Christian Men's Goods. 

" The riches and goods of Christians are not 



Articles of Religion. 71 

common, as touching the right, title, and pos- 
session of the same, as some do falsely boast. 
Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such 
things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms 
to the poor according to his ability." 

Proofs. — "Thou shalt not steal." (Ex. xx. 15.) 
Stealing implies ownership of property. " Give to 
him that asketh thee, and from him that would bor- 
row of thee turn not thou away." (Matt. v. 42.) 
Giving and lending necessarily imply the personal 
ownership of property. "But whoso hath this 
world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and 
shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how 
dwelleth the love of God in him?" (1 John iii. 17.) 

Ques. For what purpose was this Article 
drawn up? 

Am. 1. This Article was drawn up to coun- 
teract the teaching of the Anabaptists, who, 
soon after the Lutheran Reformation, preached 
"that all things ought to be common among 
the faithful." 

2. The instance of community of goods 
mentioned in Acts ii. 24 was not such as 
modern communists advocate. That of the 
early Christians was voluntary, local, and 
temporary. There was no forcible division 
of property. Peter said to Ananias: "While 
it remained, was it not thine own? and after 



72 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

it was sold, was it not in thine own power?" 
— all of which shows that the common fund 
for benevolent purposes was made up by vol- 
untary contributions. Besides, this instance 
was not general, but confined to the Church 
at Jerusalem. 

Repeat Article XX Y., in reference to a 
Christian Man's Oath. 

"As we confess that vain and rash swearing- 
is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus 
Christ and James his apostle, so we judge 
that the Christian religion doth not prohibit 
but that a man may swear when the magis- 
trate requireth, in a cause of faith and char- 
ity, so it be done according to the prophet's 
teaching, in justice, judgment, and truth." 

Proofs. — "And thou shalt swear, The Lord liv- 
eth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness." 
(Jer. iv. 2.) " Men verily swear by the greater : and 
an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all 
strife." (Heb. vi. 16.) "Jonathan caused David to 
swear again." (1 Sam. xx. 17.) "I call God for a 
record upon my soul." (2 Cor. i. 23.) 

Note. 

Judicial oaths are believed to be lawful by 
all Christians, except the Anabaptists, who 
flourished about the time this Article was 



Articles of Religion. 73 

originally drawn up, and the Quakers and 
some minor sects. " Though it be said we 
shall not swear, yet I do not remember it is 
anywhere read that we should not receive or 
take an oath from another." — St Augustine. 



CHAPTER III. 

The General Rules.* 



" There is only one condition previously re- 
quired of those who desire admission into 
these Societies — a 'desire to flee from the 
wrath to come, and to be saved from their 
sins.' But wherever this is really fixed in 
the soul, it will be shown by its fruits. It is 
therefore expected of all who continue therein 
that they should continue to evidence their 
desire of salvation — 

1. " First, by doing no harm, by avoiding evil 
of every kind, especially that which is most 
generally practiced: such as — 

2. " The taking of the name of God in vain; 

3. " The profaning the day of the Lord, 
either by doing ordinary work therein, or by 
buying or selling; 

4. "Drunkenness, or drinking .spirituous 
liquors, unless in cases of necessity; 

*The General Rules of "The United Societies," 
organized by Mr. Wesley in 1739. 

(7i) 



The General Rules. 75 

5. "Fighting, quarreling, brawling; brother 
going to law with brother; returning evil for 
evil, or railing for railing; the using many 
words in buying or selling; 

6. " The buying or selling goods that have not 
paid the duty; 

7. "The giving or taking things on usury — 
i. e., unlawful interest; 

8. "Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation, 
particularly speaking evil of magistrates or of 
ministers ; 

9. " Doing to others as we would not they 
should do unto us; 

10. " Doing what we know is not for the 
glory of God: as, 

" The putting on of gold and costly apparel; 

11. " The taking such diversions as cannot be 
used in the name of the Lord Jesus; 

12. "The singing those songs, or reading 
those books, which do not tend to the knowl- 
edge or love of God; 

13. "Softness or needless self-indulgence; 

14. " Laying up treasure upon earth ; 

15. "Borrowing without a probability of 
paying, or taking up goods without a proba- 
bility of paying for them. 

" It is expected of all who continue in these 



76 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Societies that they should continue to evi- 
dence their desire of salvation, 

16. " Secondly, by doing good, by being in 
every kind merciful after their power, as they 
have opportunity, doing good of every possi- 
ble sort, and, as far as possible, to all men; 

17. "To their bodies of the ability which 
God giveth, by giving food to the hungry, by 
clothing the naked, by visiting or helping 
them that are sick or in prison; 

18. " To their souls, by instructing, reprov- 
ing, or exhorting, all we have any intercourse 
with; trampling under foot that enthusiastic 
doctrine, that 'we are not to do good unless 
our hearts be free to it.'' 

19. " By doing good, especially to them that 
are of the household of faith, or groaning so 
to be; employing them preferably to others, 
buying one of another, helping each other in 
business; and so much the more because the 
world will love its own, and them only. 

20. "By all possible diligence and frugality, 
that the gospel be not blamed. 

21. " By running with patience the race 
which is set before them, denying themselves, 
and taking up their cross daily; submitting to 
bear the reproach of Christ, to be as the filth 



The General Rules. 77 

and off scouring of the world; and looking 
that men should say all manner of evil of them 
falsely for the LoraVs sake. 

22. "It is expected of all who desire to 
continue in these Societies that they should 
continue to evidence their desire of salvation, 

" Thirdly, by attending upon all the ordi- 
nances of God: such are, 

23. " The public worship of God; 

24 " The ministry of the word, either read 
or expounded; 

25. "The Supper of the Lord; 

26. " Family and private prayer; 

27. "Searching the Scriptures; and 

28. " Fasting, or abstinence." 



CHAPTER IV, 

The General Rules (Continued). 



LESSON XVI. 

THE GENERAL RULES WITH SCRIPTURE 
QUOTATIONS AND NOTES. 

Ques. What does the first rule require? 

Ans, Eule 1. "Doing no harm, avoiding 
evil of every kind, especially that which is 
most generally practiced." 

Proofs. — "Abstain from all appearance of evil." 
(1 Thess. v. 22.) " Be ye therefore wise as serpents, 
and harmless as doves." (Matt. x. 16.) "Abhor 
that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." 
(Rom. xii. 9.) 

Note. 
There is nothing so deceitful as sin. There 
is a tree in the tropics called the Judas tree. 
Its beautiful blossoms attract the bees; they 
suck them, and die instantly. This fatal tree 
is like the tree of sin, which attracts to poison 
and kill. Be like the little animal called the 
ermine, that chooses rather to die than defile 
its white and beautiful fur. A tyrant once 
(78) 



The General Rules. 79 

ordered one of his subjects to make a strong 
chain. When the chain was finished the ty- 
rant took it and bound the maker of it hand 
and foot, and cast him into prison. Sin is 
that tyrant that binds the sinner and casts him 
into outer darkness. 

Ques. What does the second rule forbid? 

Ans. Rule 2. " Taking the name of God in 
vain." 

Proof. — "Thou shalt not take the name of the 
Lord thy God in vain : for the Lord will not hold him 
guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (Ex. xx. 7.) 

Note. 
Swearing is a low, degrading, sinful prac- 
tice. The swearer is like the foolish fish 
caught on a naked hook. " What does Satan 
pay you for swearing? " " Nothing," said the 
swearer. "Well, you work cheap — to lay 
aside the character of a gentleman, to inflict 
much pain upon your friends, suffer the re- 
morse of conscience, and lastly to risk your 
own immortal soul — and all for nothing. ' ' The 
wild Indian, trampling beautiful paintings 
and sparkling jewels in mud, is no more de- 
graded than the swearer, who pulls down the 
holy, sacred, reverent name of the great God 
and defiles it with shocking oaths. 



80 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ques. >What does the third rule forbid? 

Ans. Rule 3. "The profaning the day of 
the Lord, either by doing ordinary work 
therein, or by buying or selling." 

Proof. — "Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep 
it holy. Six clays shalt thou labor, and do all thy 
work : but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the 
Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any work, 
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-serv- 
ant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy 
stranger that is within thy gates : . . . wherefore 
the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it." 
(Ex. xx. 8-11.) 

Note. 

"It is a blessed thing to have the Sunday 
devoted to God. There is nothing in which 
I would recommend you to be more strictly 
conscientious than in keeping the Sabbath 
holy. By this I mean not only abstaining 
from all unbecoming sports and common bus- 
iness, but from consuming time in frivolous 
conversation, paying or receiving visits, which, 
among relations, often leads to a sad waste of 
this precious day. I can truly declare that 
to me the Sabbath has been invaluable." — 
Wilberforce. 
Ques. What does the fourth rule forbid? ' 
Ans. Rule 4. "Drunkenness, or drinking 



The General Rules. 81 



spirituous liquors except in cases of neces- 
sity." 

Proofs. — " Be not among winebibbers ; . . . for 
the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty." 
(Prov. xxiii. 20, 21.) "Wine is a mocker, strong 
drink is raging : and whosoever is deceived thereby 
is not wise." (Prov. xx. 1.) " Look not thou upon 
the wine when it is red. ... At the last it biteth 
like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." (Prov. 
xxiii. 31, 32.) " Woe unto him that giveth his neigh- 
bor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest 
him drunken also." (Hab. ii. 15.) 

Notes. 

The new law of the Discipline requires 
"members to abstain from the manufacture 
or sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage." 
As the whole system of the liquor business is 
closely connected, the law makes the man who 
makes and sells it guilty. 

The still -houses make the poison; the 
grog-shops distribute it broadly over the land. 
The first is the originating fountain; the latter 
is the channel circulating the liquid poison. 
The production and circulation of liquor is 
closely connected. The distillers are busy in 
loading the Satanic battery; the retail and 
wholesale dealers are busy in firing it off. The 
consequence is that the battle-field of life runs 
6 



82 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

red with the blood of the slain. Every still 
and grog-shop is a battery of death. Think 
of the appalling number of them! According 
to official report there are in the United States 
eight thousand four hundred and two distil- 
leries and breweries and two hundred thou- 
sand grog-shops and liquor-saloons. Under 
the generalship of Satan these batteries are 
loaded and fired day and night the year round, 
pouring bursting bombs, grape-shot, and all 
other missiles of death into the ranks of our 
people. What wide - spread destruction is 
wrought! 

The Presbyterian Revieiv gives the following 
statistics for the United States: 

Paid to all ministers of the gospel $ 25,000,000 

Support of criminals 12,000,000 

Fees of litigation 35,000,000 

Importation of liquor 50,000,000 

Support of grog-shops 1 ,500,000,000 

Whole cost of liquor 12,200,000,000 

LESSON XYII. 

Ques. What does the fifth rule forbid. 

Ans. Eule 5. " Fighting, quarreling, brawl- 
ing; brother going to law with brother; re- 
turning evil for evil, or railing for railing; 
the using many words in buying or selling." 



The General Rules. 83 

Proofs. — " From whence come wars and fightings 
among you ? come they not hence, even of your lusts 
that war in your members ? " (James iv. 1.) " The 
works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, 
. . . hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, 
seditions, heresies." (Gal. v. 19, 20.) "Dare any 
of you, having a matter against another, go to law 
before the unjust, and not before the saints?" 
(ICor. vi.l.) "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing 
for railing: but contrariwise blessing." (1 Pet. iii. 
9.) " Let your conversation be without covetous- 
ness." (Heb. xiii. 5.) " Let your yea be yea; and 
your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." 
(James v. 12.) 

Note. 

There are quarrelsome dispositions, touch/ 
tempers, irritable tempers, violent tempers, sul- 
len tempers — all of which are totally contrary 
to the loving spirit of religion. As a lump 
of sugar sweetens a cup of tea, so does the 
gentle Spirit of Christ sweeten the disposi- 
tion of man. As the summer's sun changes 
green and acid fruit into a state of ripeness 
and sweetness, so the grace coming from the 
"Sun of righteousness" produces "the fruit 
of the Spirit," which " is love, joy, peace, long- 
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek- 
ness, temperance." 

Ques. What does the sixth rule forbid? 



84 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ans. Rule 6. " The buying or selling goods 
that have not paid the duty." 

Proofs. — "Provide things honest in the sight of 
all men." (Rom. xii. 17.) " Defraud ye not one the 
other." (1 Cor. vii. 5.) "Render therefore unto 
Caesar the things which are Caesar's." (Matt. xxii. 
21.) "Render therefore to all their dues." (Rtom. 
xiii. 7.) 

Note. 

To smuggle goods into a country in viola- 
tion of the revenue laws of the government 
is the sin forbidden by this rule. To buy or 
sell goods known to be contraband is con- 
sidered lawless robbery. It condemns that 
prevalent vice known by the name of " block- 
ading." 

Ques. What does the seventh rule forbid? 

Arts. Rule 7. " The giving or taking things 
on usury — that is, unlawful interest." 

Proofs. — "Lord, who shall dwell in thy holy 
hill? " " He that putteth not out his money to usu- 
ry, nor taketh reward against the innocent." (Ps. 
xv. 1, 5.) " That no man go beyond and defraud his 
brother." (1 Thess. iv. G.) 

Note. 
The Hebrew word for usury means exorbi- 
tant interest. It means greediness, sharpness, 
rapacity, which takes advantage of the op- 



The General Bales. 85 

pressed. The practice forbidden is receiving 
more for the loan of money than it is really 
worth, and more than the law allows. 



LESSON XVIII. 

Ques. What does the eighth rule forbid? 

Ans. Rule 8. "Uncharitable or unprofita- 
ble conversation, particularly speaking evil of 
magistrates or of ministers." 

Pkoofs. — " Let all bitterness, and wrath, and an- 
ger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from 
you, with all malice." (Eph. iv. 31.) "Every idle 
word that men shall speak, they shall give account 
thereof in the day of judgment." (Matt. xii. 3G.) 
" Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your 
mouth." (Eph. iv. 29.) " Put them in mind to be 
subject to principalities and powers, to obey mag- 
istrates, o . . to speak evil of no man." (Tit. iii.1,2.) 

Note. 
The practice of tale-bearing is disgraceful 
and sinful. To be known as a tattler, a gos- 
sip, a busybody in everybody's business is to 
bear a mean and low character. A back- 
biter reminds one of a sneaking dog, that 
makes the attack when your face is turned 
the other way. It is said of Domitian that 
he "employed his leisure hours in catching 
and tormenting flies." What a contemptible 



86 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

business for a Roman emperor to be engaged 
in! But how much better is the employment 
of a professor of religion who is engaged in 
catching up and circulating damaging rumors 
about his neighbors ? And especially are you 
forbidden to speak evil against ministers and 
official characters. An evil report is often a 
spark of fire kindling into a destructive con- 
flagration — a swollen river bursting over its 
embankments, and spreading a flood of evils 
over the country. 

Ques. What does the ninth rule forbid? 

Ans. Rule 9. " Doing to others as we would 
not they should do unto us." 

Proof. — "Therefore all things whatsoever ye 
would that men should do to you, do ye even so to 
them : for this is the law and the prophets." (Matt, 
vii. 12.) 

Note. 

Whatsoever is disagreeable to thyself do 
not to thy neighbor. Treat your neighbor as 
you would have him treat you. Regard him 
as your second self. As you would have him 
to be kind, polite, just, accommodating to you, 
be so to him. This is the golden rule of the 
gospel. 

Ques. What does the tenth rule forbid? 



The General Rules. 87 

Ans. Rule 10. " Doing what we know is not 
for the glory of God, as the putting on of gold 
and costly apparel." 

Proofs. — " Whose adorning, let it not be that out- 
ward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of 
gold, or of putting on of apparel." (1 Pet. iii. 3.) 
"I will . . . that women adorn themselves in mod- 
est apparel, . . . not with braided hair, or gold, or 
pearls, or costly array." (1 Tim. ii. 8, 9.) 

Note. 

The prohibition relates to needless extrava- 
gance in dress and useless and showy orna- 
ments. The taste for the beautiful must be 
carefully limited by economical and religious 
considerations. Nothing so adorns a woman 
as a beautiful character, fruitful of good works. 

Ques. What does the eleventh rule forbid? 

Ans. Rule 11. " Taking such diversions as 
cannot be used in the name of the Lord." 

Proofs. — " Wherefore come out from among them, 
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the 
unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a 
Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daugh- 
ters." (2 Cor. vi. 17, 18.) "Be not conformed to 
this world." (Rom. xii. 2.) "Know ye not that 
the friendship of the world is enmity with God? " 
(Jas.iv. 4.) 



88 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Notes. 

1. "Diversions" include those popular 
amusements — such as dancing, theaters, cir- 
cuses, etc. — which divert or turn the heart 
away from God, to be fascinated by worldly 
things. 

2. Our bishops explain the above rule as 
forbidding indulgence in the modern dance 
and attending circuses and theaters. 

3. Our Church stands squarely opposed to 
the modern dance. The Presbyterian and 
Baptist Churches have made deliverances se- 
verely condemning dancing. Even the Roman 
Catholic Church "warns her people against 
the fashionable dances, which are fraught with 
the greatest dangers to morals." 

The Police, of New York City, says that 
three-fourths of the corrupt girls in that city 
have been ruined by loose dancing. It is well 
known that as dancing increases in 'any com- 
munity piety declines and dies out. There is 
no greater enemy to revivals of pure religion 
than the spirit and practice of dancing. 
Dancing also completely destroys the Chris- 
tian influence of those who indulge in it. 
What good can a member of the Church do 
who is a lover of worldly dances? Worldly 



The General Rules. 89 

men say: "See how these Christians dance. 
Why, they seem to love sinful amusements as 
much as we poor sinners do. Pretty Chris- 
tians they are, indeed ! " Put dancing in the 
scales of reason and religion, and weigh it in 
the balance of the Bible, and it will in every 
case be found wanting. 



LESSON XIX. 

Ques. What does the twelfth rule forbid? 

Ans. Rule 12. "Singing those songs, or 
reading those books, which do not tend to the 
knowledge or love of God." 

Proofs. — " Be not deceived : evil communications 
corrupt good manners." (1 Cor. xv. 33.) "Speak- 
ing to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual 
songs, singing and making melody in your heart to 
the Lord." (Eph. v. 19.) "I count all things but 
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ 
Jesus my Lord." (Phil. iii. 8.) 

Note. 
The evils of corrupt literature are very great 
in this age. It is said that fifty per cent, of 
the criminals of the United States were made 
by reading bad books, bad newspapers, and 
blood - and - murder stories in cheap novels. 
Such reading as glorifies cunning tricks, false- 



90 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

hood, the dirk and pistol, corrupt the young 
and lead them in the paths of sin. Such sing- 
ing as taints the heart and generates worldli- 
ness must be avoided. 

Ques. What does the thirteenth rule forbid ? 

Ans.. Rule 13. "Softness or needless self- 
indulgence." 

Proof. — "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If 
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, 
and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matt. xvi. 24.) 

Note. 

A life of self-indulgence is as worthless as 
that of a butterfly that sails about on the air 
and does nothing but suck flowers. The lux- 
ury of Capua destroyed the brave army of 
Hannibal. As pills that are outwardly fair 
and sugar-coated, but have within bitterness, 
even so are luxurious pleasures. When Gar- 
rick showed Dr. Johnson his home, so full of 
luxury, carnal pleasures, and self-indulgence, 
the Doctor said : "Ah, David, David ! these 
are the things which make a death-bed terri- 
ble." 

Ques. What does the fourteenth rule for- 
bid? 

Ans. Rule 14. " Laying up treasure upon 
earth." 



The General Rules. 91 

Proof. — "Lay not up for yourselves treasures 
upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and 
where thieves break through and steal : but lay up 
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither 
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and. where thieves do not 
break through nor steal. For where your treasure 
is, there will your heart be also." (Matt. vi. 19-21.) 

Note. 

The rule strikes at the sin of covetousness, 
which is a dangerous and deadly one. The 
love of money is the root of all evil. King 
Midas prayed that every thing he touched 
might turn to gold. It was granted. It 
proved a fatal gift. The bread and water he 
touched turned to gold, and though he had 
plenty of gold, still he was in a state of misery 
and starvation. Money used as a means of 
accomplishing good is very valuable, but when 
it becomes a golden calf to be worshiped 
then it is a fatal possession. Not all accumu- 
lation is to be condemned. Joseph accumu- 
lated not for himself, but for the good of 
others. Money accumulated and used for no- 
ble purposes is commendable. 

Ques. What does the fifteenth rule forbid? 

Ans. Kule 15, " Borrowing without a prob- 
ability of paying, or taking up goods without 
a probability of paying for them." 



92 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 



Proofs. — " The wicked borroweth, and payeth not 
again." (Ps. xxxvii, 21.) "Render therefore unto 
all their dues." "Owe no man anything. (Rom. 
xiii. 7, 8.) " Provide things honest in the sight of all 
men." (Rom. xii. 17.) 

Note. 
The rule condemns the incurring of pecun- 
iary obligation when there is no reasonable 
ground for supposing that it can be paid. To 
do so is considered a fraud. To purchase 
goods without a probability of paying for 
them is condemned by our Church as a sin. 
We cannot be too careful as to borrowed prop- 
erty. Borrowed articles should be returned 
uninjured. We have no right to keep bor- 
rowed articles an undue length of time, nor 
allow them to be injured while in our posses- 
sion, nor use them for any other purpose than 
the lender expected, nor return an inferior 
article for the one borrowed. 



LESSON XX. 

GOOD OFFICES AND WORKS TO BE DONE. 

Qaes. Besides avoiding the evils mentioned, 
what else is expected of our members? 

Ans. "It is expected of all who continue in 
these Societies that they should continue to 
evidence their desire of salvation." 



The General Bides. 93 



Rule 16. 1. " By doing good." 2. "By being 
in every kind merciful after their power, as 
they have opportunity." 3. " Doing good of 
every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to 
all men." 

Proofs. — 1. "Trust in the Lord, and do good." 
(Ps. xxxvii. 3.) " To do good and to communicate 
forget not." (Heb. xiii. 16.) 2. "Blessed are the 
merciful : for they shall obtain mercy." (Matt. v. 7.) 
3. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it 
not, to him it is sin." (Jas. iv. 17.) "As we have 
, . . opportunity, let us do good unto all men." 
(Gal. vi. 10.) 

Note. 

" The best argument," says Christlieb, " for 
the truth of Christianity is a true Christian." 
Undoubtedly ; and who is the truest Chris- 
tian? He who is most like his Master ; and 
since the most distinctive trait in his Master's 
character and career was disinterested, self- 
sacrificing, infinite love for others, it follows 
that he is most Christ-like who most loves and 
labors for the salvation of his brethren. The 
first question of the regenerated soul is : "Lord, 
what wilt thou have me to do? " The eyes of 
the newborn believer are anointed to see the 
moral havoc wrought by sin, and the desolat- 
ing wretchedness certain to follow ; and, see- 



94 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

ing, he is constrained to do something to ar- 
rest the sinner. The heart that does not beat 
with tenderest sympathy and yearning anxiety 
over the woes of the wicked is either utterly 
blind or dead in its spiritual sensibilities. So- 
ciety has many wants, many evils to cure, and 
many forms of good to be advanced. Society 
is like a building ; it needs workers on the 
foundations and the walls and the finishing 
and the decorations. Society is like the hu- 
man body ; it has need of hands and feet and 
face and eyes and brain and heart. 

Ques. What does the seventeenth rule enjoin ? 

Ans. Rule 17. Doing good " to their bodies 
of the ability which God giveth, by giving 
food to the hungry, by clothing the naked, by 
visiting or helping them that are sick or in 
prison." 

Proof. — "Then shall the King say unto them on 
his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, in- 
herit the kingdom prepared for you from the founda- 
tion of the world : for T was a hungered, and ye 
gave me meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink .- 
I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye 
clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in 
prison, and ye came unto me. . . . Inasmuch as ye 
have done it unto one of the least of these my breth- 
ren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt, xxv, 34-40.) 



The General Rules. 95 

Note. 

Christians are to be ready and willing to 
help the poor, the needy ; to visit the sick, to 
clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry. 
Who is there, then, that cannot work for 
Christ ? With the world full of the ignorant to 
be instructed, and of the poor to be fed, and of 
inebriates to be reformed, and of the young to 
be guarded, and of the aged to be cheered, 
and of sinners to be regenerated and purified, 
assuredly every heir of a heavenly kingdom 
can find something to do. 

" When the plague was raging in Marseilles, 
and they were dying by scores and hundreds 
from it, the College of Surgeons decided that 
there must Lo a post-mortem examination, in 
order that they might know how to meet and 
arrest that awful disease. And there was si- 
lence in the College of Surgeons till Dr ; Guion 
rose and said : ' I know it is certain death to 
dissect one of those bodies, but somebody must 
do it, and I shall. In the name of God and 
humanity I will do the work.' He went home, 
made oat his will; then went to the dissec- 
tion, accomplished it, and in twelve hours died. 
That was self-sacrifice that the world under- 
stands. O the more wonderful sacrifice of the 



96 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Son of God ! He walked to Emmaus. He 
walked from Capernaum to Bethany. He 
walked from Jerusalem to Calvary. How far 
have you and I walked for Christ? His head 
ached, his heart ached, his back ached for us. 
How much have we ached for him? Let us 
this morning look over all the years of our 
life, and see the paltry list of our self-sacri- 
fices. Not one deed in my life or in your life 
worthy the name ! " 

LESSON XXL 

Ques. What does the eighteenth rule enjoin? 

Ans. Kule 18. Doing good to the souls of 
men, " by instructing, reproving, or exhorting 
all we have any intercourse with ; trampling 
under foot that enthusiastic doctrine, that 'we 
are not to do good unless our hearts be free to 
it.' " 

Proofs. — " Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long- 
suftering and doctrine." (2 Tim. iv. 2.) " Exhort 
one another daily." (Heb. iii. 13.) "Them that sin 
rebuke before all, that others also may fear." (1 Tim. 
v. 20.) " Ye are the salt of the earth, . . . the light 
of the world." (Matt. v. 13, 14 ) 

Note. 
We must do good continually, though our 
hearts feel indisposed to it. We are to trample 



The General Rales. 97 

under foot the doctrine that " we are not to do 
good unless our hearts be free to it." " We 
want the burden to be light if we are to carry 
it, the church-pew soft if we are to sit in it, 
the work easy if we are to perform it, the 
sphere brilliant if we are to move in it, the re- 
ligious service short if we are to survive it. 
On the way to heaven rock us, fan us, sing us 
to sleep, dandle us on the tips of your fingers, 
hand us up out of this dusty world toward 
heaven on kid gloves and under a silken sun- 
shade. Let the martyrs who waded the flood 
and breasted the fire get out of the way while 
this colony of tender-footed Christians come 
up to get their crowns. for more of that 
spirit which starts a man heavenward, deter- 
mined to get there himself and to take every- 
body else with him ! " 

Ques. How does the nineteenth rule require 
us to live? 

Ans. Rule 19. " By doing good, especially to 
them that are of the household of faith, or 
groaning so to be ; employing them preferably 
to others, buying one of another, helping each 
other in business ; and so much the more be- 
cause the world will love its own, and them 
only." 
7 



98 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Proofs. — "As we have . . . opportunity, let us 
do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of 
the household of faith." (Gal. vi. 10.) " Be kindly 
afteetioned one to another with brotherly love ; in 
honor preferring one another. . . . Distributing to 
the necessity of saints ; given to hospitality." (Rom. 
xii. 10-13.) "If ye were of the world, the world 
would love his own." (John xv. 19.) 

Note. 
Methodism leads directly to a strong frater- 
nization. Love is its life, and the mutual 
freedom and equality in Christ Jesus which 
characterizes all its social meetings and relig- 
ious forms tend to centralize the sympathy 
and feelings of the whole community. And it 
is from this in part that the power of Method- 
ism as a system arises. Unity is power ; life 
is power. They sing truly : 

" Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one — 

Our comforts and our cares. 
" We share our mutual woes, 

Our mutual burdens bear; 
And often for each other Hows 

The sympathizing tear." 

Ques. How does the twentieth rule require 
us to live? 

Ans. " By all possible diligence and frugality, 
that the gospel be not blamed." 



The General Rules. 99 

Proofs. — "Not slothful in business; fervent in 
spirit, serving the Lord." (Kom. xii. 11.) lt If any 
provide not for his own, and especially for those 
of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is 
worse than an infidel. 1 ' (1 Tim. v. S.) 

JNOTE. 

" Diligence is the mother of good luck, and 
God gives all things to industry. Then plow 
deep while sluggards sleep, and you will have 
corn to sell and to keep. Work while it is 
called to-day, for you know not how much you 
may be hindered to-morrow. One to-day is 
worth two to-morrows, as poor Richard says. 
And further : never leave that till to-morrow 
which you can do to-day." — Franklin. 

Q ties. How does the twenty-first rule require 
Christians to live. 

Ans. Rule 21. "By running with patience 
the race which is set before them, denying 
themselves, and taking up their cross daily; 
submitting to bear the reproach of Christ, to 
be as the filth and offscouring of the world, 
and looking that men should say all manner 
of evil of them falsely for the Lord's sake." 

Proofs. — "Seeing we also are compassed about 
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside 
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset 



100 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

us, and let us run with patience the race that is set 
before us." (Heb. xii. 1.) " If any man will come 
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, 
and follow me." (Matt. xvi. 24.) " We are made as 
the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all 
things unto this day." (1 Cor. iv. 13.) ''Blessed 
are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute yon, 
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, 
for my sake." (Matt. v. 11.) 

Note. 
" Patience is the guardian of faith, the pre- 
server of peace, the cherisher of love, the 
teacher of humility. Patience governs the 
flesh, strengthens the spirit, sweetens the tem- 
per, bridles the tongne, tramples upon temp- 
tations, endures persecutions." Patience is 
but lying to and riding out the gale. 



LESSON XXIL 
ORDINANCES TO BE OBSERVED. 
Ques. Besides doing the good mentioned, 
what else is expected of Methodists ? 

Ans. " It is expected of all who desire to 
continue in these Societies that they should 
continue to evidence their desire of salva- 
tion:" 

Bule 22. " By attending upon all the ordi- 



The General Hides. 101 

nances of God," such as the "public worship 
of God." 

Proofs.— "One thing have I desired of the Lord, 
that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house 
of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the 
beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." 
(Ps. xxvii. 4.) "Not forsaking the assembling of 
ourselves together, as the manner of some is." (Ileb. 
x. 25.) 

Kule 23. " The ministry of the word, either 
read or expounded." 

Proofs. — Christ instituted the ministry and said : 
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, . . . teach- 
ing them to observe all tilings whatsoever I have 
commanded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world." (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) 
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by 
the word of God." (Rom. x. 17.) " But whoso look- 
eth into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth 
therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer 
of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." 
(Jas. i. 25.) 

Notes. 
The Church requires you to attend public 
worship, and habitual neglect of this means 
of grace becomes a Church offense, to be pun- 
ished by admonition or expulsion. The re- 
quirement is reasonable. Even heathens are 
worshipers of false gods. David exclaimed : 



102 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

" O come, let us worship and bow down : let 
us kneel before the Lord our maker." The 
Saviour was a regular attendant on public 
worship. Of him it is said : "As his custom 
was, he went into the synagogue on the Sab- 
bath." 

" I know of no place so rich, none so pure, 
none so hallowed in the influences and con- 
stant in their supply, as those resulting from 
the true and spiritual worship of God. Pleas- 
ant as the cool water-brooks are to a thirsty 
heart, so pleasant will it be to us to approach 
unto the living God." — 7?. Watson. 

Ques. What does the twenty-fourth rule re- 
quire us to do ? 

Ans. Eule 24 To celebrate " the Supper of 
the Lord." 

Proof. — "And he took bread, and gave tha.iks, and 
brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body 
which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is 
the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." 
(Luke xxii. 19, 20.) 

Notes. 

1. The Lord's Supper is a visible sacrament, 

instituted by our Saviour in the place of the 

Jewish Passover. The design of it is to be 

commemorative of the Lord's suffering and 



The General Rules. 103 

death. The elements used are bread and wine, 
representing the broken body and shed blood 
of the Lord Jesus. All persons have the right 
to partake of the communion who have re- 
pented of their sins, have saving faith in 
Christ, and purpose to live a Christian life. 

2. The obligations resting upon such per- 
sons to commune is very clear : (1) It is the 
command of Christ. The command, " This 
do in remembrance of me," is charged with 
divine authority. It is the same authority 
that binds all the commands of the Bible on 
the consciences of men. (2) It is beneficial to 
the communicant. God blesses in the use of 
the means of grace. He enlightens the world 
through the sun, and waters our fields by the 
clouds. So through the communion he pours 
light into the mind and refreshing grace into 
the heart. To remember the dying love of our 
blessed Lord as he hung on the cross is melt- 
ing and purifying. 

LESSON XXIII. 

Ques. What does the twenty-fifth rule en- 
join? 

Ans. Eule 25. " Family and private prayer." 
Proofs. — "As for me and my house, we will serve the 



104 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Lord." (Josh. xxiv. 15.) " Pour out thy fury upon the 
heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that 
call not on thy name." ( Jer. x. 25.) " When thou pray- 
est, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy 
door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy 
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." 
(Matt. vi. 6.) 

Notes. 

Importance of Family Prayer. Philip Henry 
would say, sometimes : "If the worship of 
God be not in the house, write, 'Lord, have 
mercy upon us ' upon the door, for there is a 
plague, a curse in it." Archbishop Tillotson 
said : " Constant family worship is so necessa- 
ry to keep alive a sense of God and religion in 
the minds of men that I see not how any fam- 
ily that neglects it can, in reason, be esteemed 
a family of Christians, or indeed to have any 
religion at all." 

John Howard never neglected the duty of 
family prayer, though there were but one, and 
that one a servant, to join him, always declar- 
ing that where he had a tent God should have 
an altar. The presence of no one was allowed 
to interfere with it, and every call of business 
must wait outside the locked door till it was 
ended. 

An old writer affirms that a dwelling in 



The General Rules. 105 

which prayer is not offered up daily to God 
is like a house without a roof, in which there 
cannot be either peace, safety, or comfort. 

Ques. What is enjoined by the twenty-sixth 
rule? 

Ans. Rule 26. "Searching the Scriptures." 

Proofs. — "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have 
respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy 
statutes : I will not forget thy word." (Ps. cxix. 15, 16.) 
" Search the Scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have 
eternal life : and they are they which testify of' me." 
(John v. 39.) 

Notes. 
1. The reading of the Bible is profitable 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in 
righteousness. Its truths are quick, power- 
ful — sharper than any two-edged sword — stir- 
ring the consciences of men to repentance 
and reformation. The power of the Bible 
was the ground of Josiah's reformation ; the 
use of the Bible, in contrast with the tradi- 
tions of the Pharisees, was one of the striking 
characteristics of the revival inaugurated by 
Christ and the apostles ; the disinterring and 
studying of the Bible was the secret of the 
great reformation in the sixteenth century; 
the close reading and practice of Bible truths, 
in contrast with the ritualistic services ap- 



106 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

pointed to be read in the Church of England, 
was the moving power of the "Wesleyan re- 
vival. 

2. The truths of the Bible to be searched for. 
The truths of the Bible are like gold hidden 
in the soil, which whole generations of men 
walk over and never find. When men find 
them they call them new truths. One might 
as well call gold newly dug new gold. 

3. The Bible to be read daily. A French noble 
read three chapters daily ; Lady Hobert read 
the Psalms over twelve times a year ; Dr. 
Gouge read fifteen chapters daily ; Dr. Cotton 
read the whole Bible through twelve times a 
year. 

Ques. "VYhat does the twenty-seventh rule re- 
quire ? 

Ans. Rule 27. "Fasting, or abstinence." 
Proof. — " When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of 
a sad countenance : . . . but thou, when thou fastest, 
anoint thine head, and wash thy face ; that thou appear 
not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in 
secret." (Matt. vi. 16-18.) 

Notes. 

Christ did not condemn fasting, but criti- 
cised the hypocritical, perfunctory, and os- 
tentatious performance of it as done by the 



The General Bales. 107 

Pharisees. When you fast— which implies 
the duty of it — don't appear before men bowed 
down as a bulrush, clothed in sackcloth, mak- 
ing the heavens dark and the earth sad; but 
wear colors, carry flowers, anoint the head, 
wash the face ; " that thou appear not unto 
men to fast, but unto thy Father." Let your 
fasting be internal, not external. 

The Church requires its members to fast 
because it is a means of grace. " So, then, 
one of the first things to be considered in 
fasting as a means of grace is that it gives a 
man the use of a healthy body and a healthy 
brain, which is no small thing. It is of tre- 
mendous importance. It is the foundation of 
all benefit, though it is not the whole of ben- 
efit. Then a period of fasting, properly in- 
stituted, together with associated influences, 
gives rest to the wasteful passions by the cul- 
tivation of moral feeling. "Where men dimin- 
ish their food, and put themselves in a condi- 
tion in which they meditate upon themes of 
transcendent importance, upon high moral 
and spiritual themes and relationships, later- 
ally or vertically, toward man or toward God, 
toward the visible or toward the invisible, so 
that their better feelings have a chance to 



108 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

spring up because the pressure of the passions 
is taken off from them, what an advantage it 
is to them ! " 

" These are the General Rules of our Socie- 
ties ; all of which we are taught of God to ob- 
serve, even in his written word, which is the 
only rule, and the sufficient rule, both of our 
faith and practice. And all these we know 
his Spirit writes on truly-awakened hearts. 
If there be any among us who observe them 
not, who habitually break any of them, let it 
be known unto them who watch over that soul, 
as they who must give an account. We will 
admonish him of the error of his ways : we 
will bear with him for a season ; but if then 
he repent not, he hath no more place among 
us : we have delivered our own souls." 



CHAPTER V. 

Prominent Doctrines of Methodism, 



LESSON XXIV. 
I. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 

Ques. What does the Methodist Church 
teach as to the extent of the atonement? 

Ans. Methodism teaches that the atone- 
ment of Christ is universal in its extent— that 
it is broad enough to cover all the sins of all 
the children of Adam from the beginning to 
the end of time. It teaches that the sacrifice 
of Christ derived infinite value from the di- 
vinity of his person, and is therefore intrin- 
sically sufficient to expiate the sins of the 
whole human race, and was really so intend- 
ed. This is Arminianism. 

Ques. What does Calvinism teach? 

Ans. Calvinism teaches that "Christ died 
exclusively for the elect, and purchased re- 
demption for them alone, and in no sense did 
he die for the rest of the race ; " that " the 
atonement of Christ is specific and limited ; " 

(109) 



110 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

that " it is neither universal nor indefinite, but 
restricted to the elect alone." 

Ques. What is the difference between Cal- 
vinism and Arminianism ? 

Ans. According to Calvinism, the salvation 
or the non-salvation of each human being de- 
pends absolutely and solely on the eternal, ir- 
resistible decree of God, made "without any 
foresight of faith or good works in the creat- 
ure, as conditions or causes moving him 
thereto." According to this system, God has 
elected to eternal life a certain, definite, unal- 
terable number, and passed the rest of man- 
kind by unredeemed, to perish in their sins. 
Hence it teaches a partial atonement, irresist- 
ible grace, and final perseverance as flowing 
out from the decrees. Arminianisn teaches 
that " Christ died for all men," for "the whole 
world," and that the salvation or non-salvation 
depends not on arbitrary decree, but upon 
the willingness or unwillingness of each man 
to comply with the gospel conditions of salva- 
tion. 

Give the proof that Christ died for all men. 

That Jesus Christ died for all men is clearly 
and expressly taught in the following script- 
ures : 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism, 111 

Proofs. — "That lie by the grace of God should taste 
death for every man." (Heb. ii. 9.) "He is the propi- 
tiation for our sins : and not for ours only, but also for 
the sins of the whole world." (1 John ii. 2.) "The 
grace oi God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to 
all men." (Tit. ii. 11.) "God so loved the world, that 
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
(John iii. 16.) "That was the true Light, which light- 
eth every man that cometh into the world." (John i. 
9.) " God our Saviour . . . will have all men to be 
saved." (1 Tim. ii. 3, 4.) " For the love of Christ con- 
straineth us ; because we thus judge, that if one died for 
all, then were all dead." (2 Cor. v. 14.) 

Quec. What follows if Christ died for all? 

Ans. If Christ died for all men, then all are 
placed in a salvable condition. The sins of 
every man are atoned for, a pardon for every 
man is purchased, and every man is welcome 
to the favor of God and everlasting life. It 
follows that a decree of reprobation, absolute- 
ly predestinating any human being to eternal 
damnation, is impossible. In harmony with 
the doctrine that Christ died for all men the 
duty to believe in him as a Saviour is enjoined 
upon all. 

Proofs. — " He that believeth . . . shall be saved ; but 
he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark xvi. 
16.) " He that believeth on him is not condemned : but 
he that believeth not is condemned already, because 



112 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

he hatli not believed in the name of the only begotten 
Son of God." (John hi. 18.) 

Ques. If all can be saved, what are ministers 
authorized to do? 

Ans. In harmony with the scheme of uni- 
versal redemption, gospel ministers are au- 
thorized to preach free salvation to all men. 

Proofs. — " Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
gospel to every creature." (Mark xvi. 15.) "And the 
Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hear- 
eth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And 
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." 
(Rev. xxii. 17.) "Come unto me, all ye that labor and 
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. xi. 
28.) " Him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast 
out." (John vi. 37.) 

Ques. On whom is the blame of man's con- 
demnation laid? 

Ans. Men are constantly charged with the 
blame of their own ruin. "For I have no 
pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith 
the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and 
live ye." (Ezek. xviii. 32.) We might quote 
every chapter in the prophets to show that 
the Israelites were blamed as the cause of 
their own ruin, but it is needless to enlarge. 
The whole Bible testifies that men are truly the 
authors of their own destruction. God often 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 113 

complains that he has striven to save men, but 
they would not let him. "O Jerusalem, Je- 
rusalem, . . . how often I would have gath- 
ered thy children together, even as a hen gath- 
ereth her chickens under her wings, and ye 
would not ! " ( Matt, xxiii. 37. ) He " will have 
all men to be saved, and to come unto the 
knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim. ii. 4. ) 

Note. 
The argument from reason is as definite and 
conclusive. Does not every man's own con- 
science tell him that he is the author of his 
own sins, and consequently of the punishment 
flowing from them? Does not conscience ac- 
cuse us, holding that we alone are to blame 
for them? Thus the testimony of conscience 
sustains the Arminian doctrine. Yet Calvin- 
ism teaches that God, " for the sake of his own 
glory," created man to be lost — created pain 
and stamped it with immortality — that " God 
did create a race, large portions of whom, not 
being elected, would go on to eternal punish- 
ment, suffering forever and ever hopelessly — 
all * for his own glory.' " Can there be any 
glory in creating and dooming millions of the 
human race to perdition, just for the sake of 

seeing them suffer? Is there "glory" in a 

8 



114 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

government over this universe in which there 
is suffering without any other end than suffer- 
ing? Can there, be any better definition of 
Satanic malignity given than that it is a vol- 
untary creation of suffering merely for the 
sake of suffering? Finally, the salvation of 
every human being is possible or it is not 
possible. If it is possible, then the possibil- 
ity is based on the universality of the atone- 
ment, for none can be saved outside of the 
atonement. If the salvation of every man is 
not possible, then men are damned for not 
performing an impossibility, which is too mon- 
strous for any sane man to believe. But as 
Methodists we glory in the full, free, and uni- 
versal redemption of Christ. 



LESSON XXY. 
II. REPENTANCE. 

Ques. What does our Church teach on the 
doctrine of repentance? 

Ans. That personal repentance toward God 
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ are 
always united in the Bible. Repentance im- 
plies a certain kind of pre-existing faith, and 
faith implies a pre-existing repentance. Both 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 115 

are produced by the preliminary grace of the 
Holy Spirit, but not perfected without the co- 
operation of man. Repentance is a means, 
and faith a condition of salvation. The bro- 
ken and contrite heart, a godly sorrow of soul, 
a keen sense of sin, prepare the soul to accept 
Christ as the only Saviour. Such a state of 
mind leads to a free and candid confession of 
sin; and this leads to reformation. This ref- 
ormation implies two things — viz., a turning 
from sin and a serious effort at obedience. 
The Bible commands the penitent: " Cease to 
do evil; learn to do well." Repentance is pre- 
eminently a personal obligation. It is a duty 
laid upon all men. 

Proofs. — God "now commandeth all men everywhere 
to repent." (Acts xvii. 30.) " Repent ye: for the king- 
dom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. iii. 2.) " Repent, 
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus 
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive 
the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts ii. 38.) "Let the 
wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his 
thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he 
will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he 
will abundantly pardon." (Isa, lv, 7,) "Repent, and 
turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniq- 
uity shall not be your ruin." (Ezek. xviii. 30.) " Ex- 
cept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 
xiii. 3.) 



116 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ques. What must true repentance be? 

Ans. True repentance must be thorough, 
forsaking all sin. If a ship have three leaks, 
the stopping of two of them is not sufficient; 
the third one, left unstopped, will sink it ; all 
must be closed up. Or if a man have two 
dangerous wounds, the curing of one is not 
enough. Both must be cured. A tree fallen 
upon the bosom of a river sways up and down 
on the stream, but does not float off down 
the stream because it is anchored by a hidden 
root reaching into the bank. So one secret 
sin not given up will keep the soul from float- 
ing on the stream of grace into the kingdom 
of life. 

Ques. Unto what does gospel repentance 
lead? 

Ans. Gospel repentance leads to an open 
and full confession of sin. "If we confess 
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us." 
The benefit of confession is illustrated in the 
following story: A German prince visited the 
arsenal at Toulon, where the galleys were 
kept. The commandant, as a compliment to 
his rank, offered to set at liberty any slave 
whom he selected. The prince went the round 
of the prison, and conversed with the prison- 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 117 

ers. He inquired into the reason of their 
confinement, and met only with universal com- 
plaints of injustice, oppression, and false ac- 
cusation. At last he came to one man who 
admitted his imprisonment to be just. "My 
lord," said he, "I have no reason to complain; 
I have been a wicked, desperate wretch, and 
it is a mercy that I am here." The prince se- 
lected him, saying : " This is the man whom I 
wish released." The application is easy. 



LESSON XXYL 
III. JUSTIFICATION. 

Ques. What does our Church teach about 
justification ? 

Ans. That "justification is the divine judi- 
cial act which applies to the sinner believing in 
Christ the benefit of the atonement, deliver- 
ing him from the condemnation of his sin, in- 
troducing him into a state of favor, and treat- 
ing him as a righteous person." "To be 
justified is to be pardoned and received into 
God's favor, into such a state that if we con- 
tinue therein we shall be finally saved." — 
Methodist Minutes. 

Justification, pardon, and forgiveness of sins 



118 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

are substantially the same in Methodist theol- 
ogy- 

This pardon extends to all sins in the past, 
little or great. "All manner of sin " is forgiv- 
en; so "there is no condemnation to them 
who are in Christ Jesus." The originating 
cause is the love of God ; the meritorious 
cause is the atonement of Christ; the instru- 
mental cause is the personal faith of the be- 
liever. 

Proofs. — " God so loved the world, that he gave his 
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John iii. 
16.) " Christ is the end of the law for righteousness [or 
justification] to every one that believeth." (Rom. x. 4.) 
"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God 
through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. v. 1.) "By 
him [Christ] all that believe are justified from all 
things, from which ye could not be justified by the law 
of Moses." (Acts xiii. 39.) " To him that worketh not, 
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his 
faith is counted for righteousness [or justification]." 
(Rom. iv. 5.) "Therefore we conclude that a man is 
justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Rom. 
iii. 28.) 

Ques. How is pardon obtained? 

Ans. It is by the exercise of faith which 
embraces Christ, rests upon him as a house 
upon a rock foundation, enters into his right- 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 119 

eonsness for safety, as Noah entered the ark 
for protection from the flood. It acknowl- 
edges the utter impossibility of being saved 
by personal obedience to the law. To become 
righteous in that way is forever out of the 
question. It confesses past sins, present 
weakness, and the impossibility of canceling 
past transgressions by future obedience. Jus- 
tifying faith is then the trust of the soul in 
Christ as the only hope of salvation. It is the 
forsaking of the sinking ship of self -righteous- 
ness, and taking refuge in the ark of Christ's 
atonement. 

Ques. How is saving faith proved? 

Ans. The genuineness of this saving faith 
is proved by evangelical works of righteous- 
ness, without which the state of justification 
cannot be retained. The works of faith de- 
clare (manifest) the life and reality of saving 
faith. The tree of justifying faith is known 
by the fruits of good works. The substance 
of faith will project the shadow of good works. 
Hence there is a justification by faith with- 
out the merit of works, and a justification by 
faith on the evidence of works, but in both 
cases justification is based on the grace of the 
atonement. 



120 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

LESSON XXVII. 
IV. REGENERATION. 

Ques. What does our Church teach m refer- 
ence to regeneration? 

Ans. That regeneration is the new birth — 
that work of the Holy Spirit by which we ex- 
perience a change of heart. It is expressed 
in the Scripture by being born again, by be- 
ing quickened, by our partaking of the divine 
nature. " The efficient cause of regeneration 
is the Divine Spirit." — R. Watson. 

Proofs. — "Except a man be born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of God." (John iii. 3.) "That ye put 
on the new man, which after God is created in right- 
eousness and true holiness." (Eph. iv. 24.) "If any 
man be in Christ, he is a new creature." (2 Cor. v. 17.) 

Ques. What is the difference between justi- 
fication ctnd regeneration ? 

Ans. Justification is the removal of guilt, 
while regeneration is the removal of the pol- 
lution of sin. Justification is an act taking 
place in the court of heaven, while regenera- 
tion is a work performed by the Holy Spirit 
in and upon the soul of the believer. Justifi- 
cation therefore is objective, while regenera- 
tion is always subjective. Kegeneration is the 
birth of a newborn babe. The infant bom 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 121 

into the World is the man in miniature ; all the 
parts of the body and all the faculties of the 
mind are there in embryo. So the regener- 
ated person is a saint in embryo. The new 
principles are there, the new affections are 
there, the saint is there, but in infancy. The 
young twig two feet high is an oak, yet there 
is a vast difference between its diminutive size 
and the full-grown oak, covering with its wide- 
spreading branches an acre of ground. The 
" kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard- 
seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is 
less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 
but when it is sown, it groweth up, and be- 
cometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth 
out great branches." 

Ques. Is regeneration merely an outward 
reformation? 

Ans. Regeneration is more than outward 
reformation. " Wash me thoroughly from my 
iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." Mark 
the thoroughness of this desire. Not only 
must sin be blotted out, but the sinner him- 
self must be washed and cleansed. There 
must be not merely a change of state, but a 
change of nature. Not only must the debt be 
forgiven, but all disposition to contract further 



122 The Shield of the Young Methodist, 

debt must be eradicated. Outward reforma- 
tion is cutting the bird's wings, but leaving it 
with the propensity to fly. It is pulling out 
the lion's teeth, but not changing the lion's 
nature. A vicious horse is none the better 
tempered because the kicking-straps prevent 
his dashing the carriage to pieces. Regener- 
ating grace, like a lump of sugar in a cup of 
tea, sweetens the heart of man. It makes the 
tree good to get good fruit. It purifies the 
fountain of the heart, and then the practical 
stream of life will be pure. 

Ques. Is the new birth a necessity in order 
to be qualified to enjoy heaven? 

Ans. It is. None can go to heaven unless 
they are made holy. " Except a man be born 
of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 
the kingdom of God." Purity is a necessary 
qualification to enjoy heaven. If a sinner 
were lifted to heaven, he would be blind to its 
beauties, deaf to its songs, and dead to its joys. 
While malice remains in the devil's nature, 
were he admitted into heaven it would be a 
place of torment. So a wicked man would 
meet hell in the midst of heaven, so long as he 
carries within him sin, for sin kindles the fire 
of hell in the soul. The kingdom of God is 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 123 

" righteousness; peace, and joy in the Holy 
Ghost." 

LESSON XXVIII. 
V. WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. 

Ques. What is meant by the witness of the 
Spirit? 

Ans. " By the witness of the Spirit I mean 
an inward impression on the soul, whereby 
the Spirit of God immediately and directly 
witnesses to my spirit that I am a child of 
God; that Jesus Christ hath loved me and 
given himself for me; that all my sins are 
blotted out, and I, even I, am reconciled to 
God."— John Wesley. 

Proofs. — "The Spirit itself beareth witness with onr 
spirit, that we are the children of God." (Rom. viii. 16.) 
" He that belie veth on the Son of God hath the witness 
in himself." (1 John v. 10.) "Because ye are sons, 
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your 
hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. iv. 6.) "The love 
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." 
(Rom. v. 5.) " The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, 
temperance." (Gal. v. 22, 23.) 

Ques. Can a man know that he is a Chris- 
tian? 

Ans. Methodistic teaching answers, "Yes." 



124 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Mr. Wesley says : " The soul intimately and 
evidently perceives when it loves, delights, 
and rejoices in God, as when it loves and de- 
lights in any thing. I love and delight in 
God; therefore I am a child of God." The 
Bible furnishes certain marks of being a 
Christian. First, there is the love of God 
"shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy 
Ghost." The believer feels, knows, is con- 
scious that he loves God ; therefore he says 
"I am a child of God." Mr. Wesley says 
that when he was converted he felt his heart 
strangely warmed." We are just as conscious 
of the warming influence of love as we are of 
a fire in a room, or of the genial beams of the 
sun breaking through the cloud on a cold day 
and shining upon us. Love is likened to fire, 
and fire is something that can be sensibly felt. 
Secondly, fraternal love is a mark of a Chris- 
tian. The believer feels that he loves all who 
love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity ; there- 
fore he concludes, "I am a child of God." 
"We know that we have passed from death 
unto life, because we love the brethren." 
Brotherly love is adduced as a proof of hav- 
ing passed from death to life. Again: "He 
that loveth his brother abide th in the light." 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 125 

Note. 

" Now, there are some things that we know. 
When a man is enraged he knows it, and other 
people generally know it too. When a man 
is full of spirit he usually knows it. When a 
man has the inspiration of ambition, and he 
is a fiery and energetic man he knows that. 
A man knows whether he is in distress; he 
knows whether he is eager; he knows whether 
he is forceful or mild. A man knows whether 
it is his pleasure to do good, or whether he 
does it graciously. These things are. within 
the sphere of positive knowledge. A man 
knows whether he loves or not; for if he does 
not know that he loves he does not love, and 
he may be sure of it. There are some things 
that are like fire; and what would you say of 
one who should put his hand in the fire, and 
take it out slowly and look at it deliberately, 
and say: 'On the whole I think it burns?' 
Men know what is evil; they know what is 
good. All the recognized things within the 
sphere of knowledge they know with positive- 
ness, with all the positiveness that is required; 
nor does it necessarily infer conceit. 

"Take notice, then, in regard to this witness, 
that light is thrown upon the method of it. 



126 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

We do not have this witness borne in upon ns 
in consequence of any actions of our own, 
standing upon which we reason to it our- 
selves. It is not the result of retrospect; it is 
not from any estimate that we form of our 
moral worth. The soul's spontaneous affinity 
for God being disclosed in us becomes itself 
the evidence. We find ourselves possessed of 
a certain enthusiasm. We are lifted up, fired 
with an unusual experience — not a superhu- 
man experience, and yet an experience trans- 
cending all ordinary experience, and the nat- 
ure of it is that of love. It is an experience 
which, acting in love, draws us by elective af- 
finities to the great Source and Fountain of 
love, as well as of wisdom and power — God; 
and this condition of the soul which produces 
filial love is the sign of God's influence upon 
us. It is the witness of the Spirit." 



LESSON XXIX. 
VI. HOLINESS, OR SANCTIFICATION. 

Ques. What is holiness or sanctification ? 

Arts. "Sanctification is that work of God's 
grace by which we are renewed after the im- 
age of God, set apart for his service, and ena- 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 127 

bled to die unto sin and live unto righteous- 
ness. It comprehends all the graces of knowl- 
edge, faith, repentance, love, humility, zeal, 
and patience, and the exercise of them toward 
God and man." — R. Watson. 

Proofs. — "The very God of peace sanctify you 
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and 
body be preserved blameless." (1 Thess. v. 23.) "This 
is the will of God, even your sanctiflcation." (1 Thess. 
iv. 3.) "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye 
holy in all manner of conversation." (1 Pet. i. 15.) 
" Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us 
from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar 
people, zealous of good works." (Tit. ii. 14.) " We are 
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus 
Christ." (Ileb. x. 10.) " Herein is our love made per- 
fect." (1 John iv. 17.) 

Ques. What is the nature of holiness? 

Ans. It is the conformity of the heart and 
life to the law of God. It is the casting out 
of those inbred sins, the purification of the 
moral nature, and the restoration of the image 
of God, so that the soul is all glorious within, 
having the fruit of the Spirit — "love, joy, 
peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, 
faith, meekness, temperance." It implies the 
consecration of the whole body, the whole 
heart, the whole spirit, the whole mind, prop- 



128 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

erty, influence, family, all to the service of 
God. 

Sanctification brings the intellect of the 
Christian into captivity to Christ, so that he 
thinks for him; puts the love of God in his 
heart, so that he is unselfish and beneficent; 
puts the life of righteousness into his con- 
science, so that the law of right is his rule; 
puts the life of obedience into his will, so that 
it is his meat and drink to do the will of the 
Father. 

Ques. When can the grace be attained? 

Ans. The Catholic Church teaches that sanc- 
tification with some is attained after death 
through the fires of purgatory ; the Calvinists, 
that it can be attained only in the article 
of death. The Methodists maintain that it 
may be attained soon after conversion, and 
enjoyed during life. All agree then that holi- 
ness — perfect love, sanctification — is absolute- 
ly necessary as a qualification for heaven. The 
difference is simply in the time of its attain- 
ment. The Arminian view is unquestionably 
correct and scriptural. Our doctrine hereby 
elevates the plane of Christian experience im- 
measurably higher than the other view. The 
Catholic doctrine that men are sanctified in 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 129 

purgatory is simply absurd. To send a soul 
to hell to purify it, how ridiculous! Why is 
not the devil purified? He has been in hell 
long enough to be very pure, if that be the 
place of purification. The Calvinistic theory 
has no scriptural foundation. There is no 
virtue in the mere act of dying to sanctify the 
soul. 

Ques. Why should we strive to be perfect 
Christians ? 

Ans. 1. Because God wills it. "For this 
is the will of God, even your sanctification." 
God wills our sanctification just as truly and 
sincerely as he wills the salvation of sinners 
or any other desirable thing. There can be 
no higher law than the will of God. 

2. Because God commands it. " Be ye there- 
fore perfect, even as your Father which is in 
heaven is perfect." "Be perfect" — not in 
knowledge or power, as God, but in love and 
holiness. "Be perfect" — not in degree, as 
God, but in quality, in kind. 

3. Because this great blessing is promised. 
" Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, 
and ye shall be clean: from all your filthi- 
ness, and from all your idols will I cleanse 
you." (Ezek. xxxvi. 25.) "If we confess our 

9 



130 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

sins, lie is faithful and just to forgive us our 
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- 
ness." (1 John i. 9.) "The very God of 
peace sanctify you wholly." Does not this 
passage mean entire sanctification ? Do we 
have to wait till death for this? 



CHAPTER VI. 

Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 



LESSON XXX. 
VII. APOSTASY. 
Ques. What is the view of our Church on 
the doctrine of falling from grace? 

Ans. That it is possible for a person who 
has been truly regenerated to fall away from 
such a gracious state, and be finally lost. This 
doctrine is clearly taught in the Old Testa- 
ment Scriptures. 

Peoofs. — " But when the righteous turneth away 
from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and 
doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked 
man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that 
he hath done shall not be mentioned : in his trespass 
that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath 
sinned, in them shall he die." "When a righteous man 
turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth 
iniquity, and dieth in them ; for his iniquity that he 
hath done shall he die." (Ezek. xviii. 24, 26.) 

Ques. What does the above passage teach? 

Ans. 1. That the persons referred to in 
this passage were truly righteous men. Mr. 

(131) 



132 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Edwards concedes that a righteous man in 
Scripture phrase denotes a "godly man." 

2. The drift of the whole passage shows 
that these righteous persons may totally turn 
away and perish in their sins. 

3. Man's life on earth is a period of trial. 
He has all the endowments necessary to make 
him a free and responsible agent. In this 
character there is no time on earth when he 
is not subject to change of moral character. 
As a sinner he may repent, reform, and be- 
come a good man all along the path of his 
probation. There is no point along this pro- 
bationary road up to the hour of death where 
he may not repent and believe.; or, being good, 
may relapse into sin and perish. 

Ques. Where else is this doctrine taught? 
Ans. The possibility of total and final aposta- 
sy is expressly declared in the New Testament. 

Proof. — "For it is impossible for those who were 
once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, 
and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have 
tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the 
world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them 
again unto repentance ; seeing they crucify to themselves 
the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." 
(Heb. vi. 4-6.) 

Ques. What does the above scripture teach? 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 133 

Ans. That these persons were Christians 
of deep experience. 1. They were "enlight- 
ened." 2. They had "tasted of the heavenly 
gift." This may mean the experience of a 
gracious pardon. 3. They were "made par- 
takers of the Holy Ghost." This includes 
the work of regeneration, the witness of the 
Holy Spirit, and his indwelling influence. 4. 
They had " tasted the good word of God." This 
means the Christian's relish and comfort in 
reading the Scriptures. 5. They had tasted 
"the powers of the world to come." By this 
we understand the delightful anticipation of 
heaven. Here are all the marks and fruits of 
experienced Christians. But these persons 
may fall away and finally perish. The whole 
drift of the passage teaches this. The Greek 
scholars agree that the term " if " is not in the 
original passage. Mr. Wesley proves that it 
is not there, and says it should read: "It is 
impossible to renew again unto repentance 
those who have been once enlightened and 
have turned away and renounced the Saviour, 
the only refuge for sinners." The fall contem- 
plated is total and final, and the possibility of 
such is borne on the very face of the passage. 

Ques. Is this doctrine taught anywhere else ? 



134 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ans. The same doctrine is taught by our 
Saviour. 

Proofs. — " I am the true vine, and my Father is the 
husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not 
fruit he taketh away." "I am the vine, ye are the 
branches." " If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth 
as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, 
and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." 
(John xv. 1, 2, 5, 6.) 

Ques. What does this passage teach? 

Ans. 1. That the persons spoken of were 
branches in the vine — that is, in Christ. 2. 
Some of these branches were cut off, because 
they did not bear fruit. 3. Being severed 
from the vine, the only source of life, they 
hopelessly died, withered, dried up, and were 
gathered up and burned. 



LESSON XXXI. 

Ques. In what other way does this doctrine 
appear in the Bible? 

Ans. The possibility of final apostasy ap- 
pears from the repeated warnings against such 
danger, and the earnest exhortations to Chris- 
tian faithfulness. 

Proofs. — " Because of unbelief they were broken off, 
and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but 
fear : for if God spared not the natural branches, take 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 135 

heed lest he also spare not thee." (Kom. xi. 20, 21.) 
"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an 
evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 
But exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day ; 
lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness 
of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we 
hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the 
end." (Heb. iii. 12-14.) "Let us therefore fear, lest, a 
promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of 
you should seem to come short of it." (Heb. iv. 1.) 

Ques. What does this passage teach? 

Ans. That all these exhortations to fear, to 
be diligent, to put forth effort, undoubtedly 
imply the possibility of failure. It is a pal- 
pable absurdity to exhort men to hold on to 
that which it is impossible for them to lose. 
A Christian can or cannot fall from grace. If 
he cannot fall, then the exhortation not to fall 
is absurd and senseless. Suppose a man on 
some high mountain is chained to a rock with 
iron fetters that cannot be broken, and an- 
other should stand off shouting, " Take heed 
lest you fall!" would not the exhortation be 
ridiculous nonsense? The application is easy. 

Ques. What do certain examples contained 
in the Scriptures teach? 

Ans. The possibility of falling from grace. 

Proof. — "Holding faith, and a good conscience; 



136 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

which some having put away, concerning faith have 
made shipwreck : of whom is Hymeneus and Alexan- 
der ; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may 
learn not to blaspheme." (1 Tim. i. 19, 20.) 

Ques. What does this passage teach? 

Ans. 1. That these persons once had faith 
and a good conscience, else they could not 
have wrecked or cast away what they never 
had. 2. They made shipwreck of this saving 
faith. 3. What is shipwrecked is entirely 
lost. A wrecked vessel is totally ruined. An- 
gels fell from their original state of celestial 
holiness. Our first parents fell from their 
original purity. Judas fell from his apostle- 
ship by transgressions. King Saul was once 
a good man. " God gave him another heart," 
but he fatally backslid, and "died for his trans- 
gressions which he committed against the 
Lord." Solomon was clearly at one time a 
saintly man, but he evidently apostatized, and 
"died," says Josephus, "ingloriously." 

Note. 
The dogma " once in grace always in grace " 
is a very fatal error. A man gets a ticket, sits 
down in the cars, folds his hands, and says to 
himself: "Well, I bought my ticket, I am on 
the train, and now I will go to sleep. It is the 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 137 

engineer's business to run the train and watch 
out for danger. It is the business of the con- 
ductor to land me safely at my journey's end. 
I have nothing to do but to sleep." This is 
about the way men reason who believe in final 
perseverance. Any one can see the deadening 
and sleep-producing influence which this doc- 
trine has upon the human heart. But the Bi- 
ble, instead of encouraging such a state, com- 
mands us to watch. " Work out your own sal- 
vation;" "Give all diligence to make your 
calling and election sure." Hundreds of warn- 
ings stand all through the Bible, like mount- 
ains, with a gloomy grandeur— stern, portent- 
ous, awful, and sublime, as Mount Sinai 
when the Lord descended upon it in fire, 
storm-clouds, and thunders that shook the 
hills of the earth, " that the fear of God may 
be upon us, and that we sin not." They stern- 
ly rebuke the folly of supposing that because 
God has delivered us from our former sins we 
need have no anxiety about our final salvation. 



LESSON XXXII. 
ORDERS IN THE MINISTRY. 
Qaes. How many orders does the Methocl- 
odist Church recognize? 



138 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ans. Methodism recognizes but two orders 
in the ministry — the deacon and presbyter. 
It also recognizes a third office — that of bish- 
op, which is presbyterial in order, but epis- 
copal in office. Methodism occupies medium 
ground between prelacy on the one hand and 
parity of the ministry on the other. Roman 
Catholics and the Episcopalians believe in 
three orders — those of a bishop, presbyter, and 
deacon. Presbyterians, Baptists, and Congre- 
gationalists maintain one order only — that of 
the presbyter. We believe that two orders 
are recognized in the Bible. 
I. Deacon. 

Ques. What is a deacon in our Church? 

Ans. The deaconship is a subordinate grade 
and order of the ministry. Deacons among 
Presbyterians and Baptists are simply lay of- 
ficers, but among Methodists they are a sub- 
ordinate order of ministers. Methodism here 
is on scriptural ground. Stephen was a dea- 
con, one of the " first seven. ' r He was a pow- 
erful preacher, being " full of the Holy Ghost." 
When the Jews heard the sermon which is re- 
corded in Acts vii. "they were cut to the 
heart." He was duly ordained by the apos- 
tles. Philip was another deacon and a preach- 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 139 

er. "Then Philip went down to the city of 
Samaria, and preached Christ unto them." 
(Acts viii. 5.) He had a great revival at that 
place. " But when they believed Philip preach- 
ing the things concerning the kingdom of God, 
and the name of Jesus Christ, they were bap- 
tized, both men and women." "And there 
was great joy in that city." Philip expounded 
the Scriptures to the "Ethiopian eunuch," 
and administered to him the rite of baptism. 
The point we make is that deacons are minis- 
ters, which is clearly proved by the above ci- 
tations of Scripture. A Methodist deacon 
can perform all the ministerial functions of an 
elder except that of consecrating the elements 
of the Lord's Supper. 

II. Elder. 

Ques. What is the office of an elder? 

Ans. 1. Presbyter, or elder, is a higher or- 
der and office of the ministry. It designates 
an order of men whose duties are to preach, 
to administer the ordinances, and watch over 
the Church. "The elders which are among 
you I exhort, who am also an elder." "Feed 
the flock of God which is among you, taking 
the oversight thereof." (1 Pet. v. 1, 2.) 

2. Elders have authority of governing the 



140 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Churches. " Let the elders that rule well be 
counted worthy of double honor." (1 Tim. v. 
17. ) " Obey them that have the rule over you, 
and submit yourselves." (Heb. xiii. 17.) 

3. Elders have the power of ordination. 
Timothy was ordained by " the laying on of 
the hands of the presbytery," or body of eld- 
ers. See 1 Timothy iv. 14 They were associates 
of ecclesiastical authority with the apostles. 
The decrees passed at Jerusalem to regulate 
the Churches "were ordained of the apostles 
and elders." See Acts xv. 2-6, 22, 23; Acts 
xvi. 4; 1 Timothy v. 17. As all Churches agree 
that the eldership is an ecclesiastical order, it 
is not necessary to dwell longer on this sub- 
ject. 

III. Bishop. 

Ques. What is the office of a bishop? 

Am. " Bishops are not a distinct order, but 
officers elected by the body of elders for gen- 
eral superintendency and for greater conven- 
ience in regard to ordination, and to secure 
anity and greater efficiency in administration, 
and this was unquestioned for hundreds of 
years. Now Methodism conforms to this 
primitive arrangement." "Bishops and pres- 
byters, or elders, were originally the same; but, 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 141 

as Jerome says, one of the elders was chosen 
as a president, and called bishop by way of 
distinction; and some of the functions per- 
taining to the whole body of the presbyters — 
as ordination, for example — were committed 
to him, and, like the name, confined to him. 
Thus he became primus inter pares — first among 
equals. ' ' — Bishop Mc Tyeire. 



CHAPTER VII 



LESSON XXXIIL 
MODE OF BAPTISM. 
Ques. What are the essential elements of 
baptism ? 
Ans. The essential elements of baptism are: 

1. It must be administered in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost. 

2. It must be performed by a gospel minis- 
ter. No others are commissioned to baptize 
but ministers of Christ. 

3. The element to be used must be water 
only. This only is mentioned in the Script- 
ures. 

4. The person baptized must be a proper 
subject. 

Ques. What then is Christian baptism? 

Ans. We conclude that water applied in the 
name of the Trinity, by a gospel minister to 
a proper candidate, is Christian baptism. " Go 
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the 
(142) 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 143 

Son, and -of the Holy Ghost." (Matt, xxviii. 
19.) 

Ques. What follows from this definition? 

Ans. It will be seen from the above defi- 
nition that the mode of baptism is not one of 
its essential elements; that all the essentials 
of baptism will be preserved when adminis- 
tered by the mode of pouring, sprinkling, or 
immersion. Therefore the Methodist Church 
holds that the three modes are equally valid, 
but that the weight of evidence is in favor of 
pouring and sprinkling. Pouring and sprink- 
ling are really only one mode, they being alike 
as to mode; the difference being the freer use 
of water in pouring. The terms are borrowed 
from the Bible. "I will pour out my Spirit; 
and then will I sprinkle clean water upon 
you." 

Ques. Which mode has the weight of evi- 
dence in its favor, pouring or immersion? 

Ans. The weight of evidence is in favor of 
pouring or sprinkling. Real baptism is the 
regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit in 
the heart; water baptism is the sign of this 
grace in the heart. That mode which is most 
like the mode of the Spirit's operation is the 
true one. How does the Spirit come upon the 



144 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

soul? Scripture teaches us upon tjiis point: 
" I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." 
(Isa. xliv. 3.) "Then will I sprinkle clean 
water upon you, and ye shall be clean." 
(Ezek. xxxvi. 25.) Thus when Peter was ad- 
dressing the company of Cornelius " the Holy 
Ghost fell on all them which heard," and "on 
the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of 
the Holy Ghost." (Acts x. 44, 45.) Then 
Peter baptized them on whom the Holy Ghost 
was poured out. Now, as the Holy Spirit was 
poured upon the people, it is almost certain 
that Peter poured water upon them as the most 
fitting mode of baptism. The sign as to mode 
would be like the thing signified, and the 
thing signified was poured out. Again, it is 
said in reference to Christ's baptism: "The 
heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the 
Spirit of God descending like a dove and light- 
ing upon him." When God shows how he bap- 
tizes, the element descends upon the subject. 
But immersion requires that the subject de- 
scend, fall upon, the element. The mode of 
the Holy Ghost baptism is pouring — applying 
the Spirit to the soul; and water baptism, as 
the sign of this, should be poured, so as to 
make the sign correspond with the thing sig- 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 145 

nified. But there is no resemblance between 
immersion ( applying the candidate to the wa- 
ter and covering him up in it) and the pour- 
ing out of the Spirit upon the soul. The Spirit 
is shed upon as as rain upon the earth. 

Ques. What does Dr. Pope say about it? 

Ans. He says: "There are many considera- 
tions which lead us to regard affusion or 
sprinkling as the ordained form of the rite. 
The catholic design of the gospel suggests 
that the simplest and most universally practi- 
cable ordinance would be appointed. Again, 
the most important realities of which baptism 
is only the sign are such as sprinkling or af- 
fusion indicates. The blood of atonement was 
sprinkled on the people and on the mercy- 
seat, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost are gen- 
erally illustrated by the pouring of water and 
the anointing." 

Ques. What does Mr. Watson say? 

Ans. Richard Watson, in his "Institutes," 
says: "It is satisfactory to discover that all 
attempts made to impose upon Christians a 
practice (immersion) repulsive to the feeling, 
dangerous to the health, and offensive to deli- 
cacy, is destitute of all scriptural authority 
and of really primitive practice." 
10 



146 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ques. Does our Church allow each person 
wishing to be baptized to choose his own 
mode? 

Ans. Our Church, believing that the "es- 
sence of the rite " consists in applying water 
to the body in the name of the Trinity, says: 
"Let every adult person, and the parents of 
every child to be baptized, have the choice 
either of immersion, sprinkling, or pouring." 
Dr. Raymond says: "No Church, as such, ex- 
cept the Baptist, requires any particular form 
of baptism as a sine qua non condition of mem- 
bership." So it will be seen that the Method- 
ists are not alone in allowing the choice of 
modes. 

Ques. Is there any command to be immersed? 

Ans. There is no command to baptize by 
immersion. The duty of baptizing with water 
is commanded, but, like the Lord's Supper, 
the mode of its administration is left unde- 
cided by any positive precept. 

LESSON XXX1Y. 
EXAMPLES OF BAPTISM. 
The following Bible examples lead us to be- 
lieve that the apostles administered baptism 
by pouring or sprinkling: 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 147 

I. The Baptism of Paul. 

Eepeat the history of Paul's baptism. 

"And Ananias went his way, and entered into the 
house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother 
Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in 
the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou 
mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy 
Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it 
had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and 
arose, and was baptized." (Acts ix. 17, 18.) 

Ques. What does the history of Paul's bap- 
tism teach? 

Ans. 1. That the rising up and baptizing 
are closely connected. Dr. Armstrong says: 
"In the original the language is much more 
definite than it appears in the English ver- 
sion." On the expression, "Arise and be bap- 
tized " (literally, " Standing up, be baptized"), 
and "He arose and was baptized" (literally, 
"Standing up, he was baptized"), Dr. J. H. 
Rice remarks correctly: "According to the id- 
iom of the Greek language, these two words 
do not make two different commands, as the 
English reader would suppose when he reads, 
(1) 'Arise;' (2) < Be baptized.' But the par- 
ticiple "Arise" (literally "standing") sim- 
ply modifies the signification of the verb, or 
rather is used to complete the action of the 



148 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

verb; and therefore, instead of warranting the 
opinion that Paul rose up, went out, and was 
immersed, it definitely and precisely expresses 
his posture when he received baptism." 

2. "Three days had he been sunk in fee- 
bleness and fasting when he 'arose and was 
baptized,' and then 'received meat and was 
strengthened.' Strange that where every 
movement is detailed with wonderful minute- 
ness no going forth in his weakness to a river 
should have been mentioned. The whole air 
of it is that he just stood up from his prostra- 
tion, in order to be baptized while upon his 
feet." — Br. Whedon. 

II. Baptism of the Jailee. 

Give the history of the jailer's baptism. 

"And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and 
to all that were in his house. And he took them the 
same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and 
was baptized, he and all his, straightway." (Acts xvi. 
32, 33.) 

Ques. What does this history teach? 

Ans. It teaches: 1. That the jailer and his 
family were baptized at the hour of midnight 
in the prison. "And he took them the same 
hour of the night, and washed their stripes; 
and was baptized, he and all his, straightway." 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 149 

2. The baptism took place in the prison. We 
have the authority of the apostles that they 
did not go out of the prison. Paul refused to 
leave the prison privily; he demanded that 
the magistrates themselves should take them 
out as publicly as they had put them in. Now 
who can believe that Paul had gone out to 
some river at midnight — gone privily, secretly 
— and immersed the parties, and then slipped 
back into the prison and demanded a public 
and honorable discharge from the prison, after 
he had already been out. Can any one believe 
that Paul was capable of such deception as 
this? The refusal of the apostles to go out 
privily expressly implied that they had not 
been out the night before. Their language, if 
they had already been out, was based on con- 
cealment and equivocation. The magistrates 
might have fairly replied: "With what face 
can these men pretend that they will not go 
out without formal and public dismissal, when 
they have already gone out of their own ac- 
cord, and are now in prison only by volunta- 
rily imprisoning themselves?" No such hy- 
pocrisy can be charged against them. The 
conclusion is inevitable that they had not been 
out of prison bounds. 



150 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

Ques. Is there any evidence that there was 
a tank or a pool in the prison, where immer- 
sion could be performed? 

Ans. There is not the slightest ground for 
the wild supposition that a Roman prison was 
provided with any thing like a baptistery. 
The public authority that could thrust the in- 
nocent apostles, all bloody with stripes, into 
the irons of a dark dungeon would not likely 
provide baths for the comfort of their victims. 
The Eomans were too cruel to mitigate the 
sufferings of their prisoners. Besides, Philip- 
pi was located in the very latitude of " Snowy 
Thrace," where such things would not be need- 
ed. A bath or tank in a Roman prison! As 
well expect to find a piano in the wigwam of a 
Flat Head Indian. There was a baptism in 
the prison, but most clearly it was not by im- 
mersion. To suppose that the jailer took his 
wife and family out of bed at midnight, and 
went in search of a river to find some suit- 
able place to have them immersed, is simply 
absurd. Therefore the jailer and his family 
were baptized in the prison, and hence by 
sprinkling or pouring, as immersion would 
have been impossible under .the circum- 
stances. 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 15.1 

LESSON XXXV. 
III. Baptism of Cornelius. 
Recite the history of this baptism. 

" While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost 
fell on all them which heard the word. And they of 
the circumcision which believed were astonished, as 
many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles 
also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For 
they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. 
Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that 
these should not be baptized, which have received the 
Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them 
to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed 
they him to tarry certain days." (Acts x. 44-48.) 

Ques. "What is the inference drawn from this 
account? 

Ans. The clear inference is that Cornelius 
and his household were baptized by pouring. 
The circumstances prove this: "They w r ent to 
no river, they are not said to have gone down 
to any water, nor are we told that they had a 
bath adapted for such a purpose in their 
house. Peter's remark about forbidding wa- 
ter indicates that it was to be brought to him 
for the purpose of administering this rite. 
And above all it should be noticed that when 
the apostle saw the Holy Spirit descending 
upon them he was reminded of what Christ 



152 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

had said of John's baptizing with water. See 
Acts xi. 10. Whence this instantaneous rec- 
ollection and association of ideas, but from the 
fact that the mode of water baptism was in 
form the same as that of the descent of the 
Holy Ghost? Had either John or Peter bap- 
tized by dipping, the narrative and the allu- 
sion would have been grossly inconsistent and 
calculated to mislead the most devout and 
clear-headed student of inspiration." — Be v. W. 
Thorn. 

IV. Baptism of the Theee Thousand. 

Repeat the history of this baptism. 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized 
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the re- 
mission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy 
Ghost." " Then they that gladly received his word were 
baptized : and the same day there were added unto them 
about three thousand souls." (Acts ii. 38, 41.) 

Ques. What do you learn from this account? 

Ans. 1. That they were all actually baptized 
on this day is evident and is admitted by our 
opponents, who assure us that baptism always 
preceded admission into the visible Church. 
Now, supposing the twelve apostles to have 
been engaged in this work, and supposing im- 
mersion to have been the mode, it must have 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 153 

been a most laborious, disagreeable, if not an 
impracticable, undertaking to be accomplished 
in the course of five or six hours. It should 
be taken into the account, moreover, that at 
least twenty-four robing-rooms and a dozen 
dipping-places must have been obtained for 
the purpose. And if more agents assisted and 
lightened the labor of each, a proportionate 
increase of both kinds of conveniences must 
have been provided. 

2. Now, in Jerusalem itself there was nei- 
ther a river nor fountain of water. Kedron 
was little better than the common sewer of the 
city, and was dry except during the early and 
latter rains. Siloam was only a spring with- 
out the walls, not always flowing, the contents 
of which were sometimes sold to the people by 
measure; and the pools supplied by its puny 
stream were either used for washing sheep 
and similar purposes ( rendering them unfit for 
ceremonial lustrations), or they were the prop- 
erty of persons not likely to lend them for 
washing apostate strangers in. The water 
used for domestic purposes was obtained from 
the rains of heaven and preserved in house- 
hold tanks, and of course was guarded with 
the utmost care and used with a risrid econo- 



154 The Shield of the Young Methodist, 

my, it raining there at only two seasons of the 
year. It may be further mentioned that the 
fountain of Siloam "is the only place in the 
environs of Jerusalem where the traveler can 
moisten his fingers, quench his thirst, and rest 
his head under the shadow of the cool rock 
and on two or three tufts of verdure." — Lam- 
artine. That the case was precisely similar in 
the time of the apostles may be clearly proved 
by reference to the writings of Josephus, their 
countryman and contemporary. The clear in- 
ference is that they were baptized by pouring. 
Any other supposition bears upon its face a 
glaring absurdity. 

Qties. What is the conclusion of the whole 
matter? 

Ans. The conclusion of the whole matter to 
which we come is: 

1. There is nothing in the history of John's 
baptism, nothing in the practice of the apos- 
tles, nothing in the miscellaneous allusions to 
baptism in the Epistles, nothing in the mean- 
ing of the word " baptize," to authorize the be- 
lief that any particular mode of baptism is es- 
sential to the validity of this rite. 

2. While it cannot be determined with ab- 
solute certainty whether sprinkling, pouring, 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 155 

or immersion was the mode of baptism prac- 
ticed by the apostles, immersion is the least 
probable of the three, most inconvenient, and 
the least expressive of Holy Ghost baptism. 

3. To require immersion in order to obtain 
admission into the Church is contrary to the 
teaching of the Bible, and to " teach for doc- 
trine the commandments of men." And to 
exclude pious persons from the Lord's table 
because they have not been immersed is nar- 
row-hearted bigotry. 

4. Baptism is enjoined upon all nations, and 
pouring is adapted to all climates, but immer- 
sion is not. How could immersion be per- 
formed in those countries where for six months 
in the year every pond, river, and ocean is 
converted into solid ice? 

5. Baptism by sprinkling can be performed 
on persons who profess religion on a dying 
bed, but immersion cannot. 

6. Baptism by pouring comports with de- 
cency and propriety, but does immersion ? 



LESSON XXXVI. 
I. INFANT BAPTISM. 
Ques. What does our Church teach about 
infant baptism? 



156 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ans. That the right of infant memberhip 
existing in the Church has never been re- 
pealed. It stands intact to-day. No change 
has occurred. No proclamation has been 
made repealing the law of infant membership, 
and it is a well-known fact that a law once 
passed remains in force until formally re- 
pealed. 

Now as infants were members of the Jew- 
ish Church, and as the gospel Church is but 
a continuance of the Jewish, and no repeal 
having taken place of this law of infant 
membership, the conclusion is inevitable that 
the right of infant membership remains in- 
tact. 

Circumcision, with other forms of the Jew- 
ish Church, gave way to baptism in the Chris- 
tian Church. Baptism, like circumcision, is 
an initiatory rite of admission into the visible 
Church. As circumcision was the gate for the 
Jew and the Gentile proselyte into the Jewish 
Church, so baptism is the door into the Chris- 
tian Church. 

Ques. If we admit that children dying in in- 
fancy are saved, what follows ? 

Ans. We are shut up to one of two conclu- 
sions, and must declare that infants are not fit 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 157 

to go to heaven, or admit their fitness for 
baptism. For if yon admit their fitness for 
heaven, that implies that they have saving- 
grace, and saving grace is universally conced- 
ed to be the ground of baptism. We must 
believe, then, either the horrid doctrine of 
infant damnation or the doctrine of infant 
baptism. 

Note. 

The moral state decides the question of 
baptism, and not ages or classes of persons. 
If a grown person be a fit subject, or if a child 
be a fit subject, baptize him. And for this 
reason it is not necessary to have an express 
command to baptize infants. There is no com- 
mand to baptize persons ten, twenty, fifty, or 
one year old. The authority is to baptize all 
who are fit subjects of the kingdom, young or 
old. 

Ques. What does St. Peter say about it? 

Ans. Peter in his pentecostal sermon ex- 
pressly declared: "The promise is unto you 
and your children." The promise referred to 
is that which is contained in the Abrahamic 
covenant. Never was there a better time for 
Peter to declare the repeal of the law requir- 



158 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

ing the children to be brought into the Church 
than this. If that law had been repealed, now 
that they were passing out of the old into the 
new Church, Peter, it seems to me, would have 
said: "Repent, and be baptized, . . . for the 
promise is unto you, but your children are ex- 
cluded under the new dispensation." But he 
said that "the promise is to you and your 
children." Christ had commanded him before, 
" Feed my lambs," and he knew what he was 
talking about. 

II. CHRIST'S RECOGNITION OF INFANT MEM- 
BERSHIP. 

Ques. Did Christ recognize the Church-mem- 
bership of children? 
Ans. He did. 

Proofs.—" Then were there brought unto him little 
children, that he should put his hands on them, and 
pray : and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, 
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto 
me ; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he 
laid his hands on them, and departed thence." (Matt, 
xix. 13-15.) "And they brought unto him also infants, 
that he would touch them : but when his disciples saw 
it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto 
him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, 
and forbid them not : for of such is the kingdom of God. 
Verily 1 say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the 



Prominent Docrines of Methodism. 159 

kingdom of God as a little child shall in nowise enter 
therein." (Luke xviii. 15-17.) 

Note. 
" Suffer little children to come unto me; . . . 
for of such is the kingdom of God." What is 
the meaning of "kingdom of God?" The 
kingdom is sometimes used to signify the vis- 
ible Church on earth. " The kingdom of heav- 
en is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, 
and gathered of every kind." (Matt. xiii. 47. ) 
Then again it is used to mean the Church of 
God in a state of glory. "Now this I say, 
brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit 
the kingdom of God." If we take the first 
meaning, then the passage would read: "For 
of such is the idsible Church," or such belong 
to the Church on earth. The Church was then 
the Old Testament Church. The Day of Pen- 
tecost had not come when the Christian Church 
came of the old into the new. These children, 
being the children of Jewish parents, had been 
introduced into that Church by circumcis- 
ion. They were then members of that Jewish 
Church. Hence He says such are members 
of the Church, of the kingdom of God. Cir- 
cumcision, with other forms of the Jewish 
Church, gave way to baptism in the Christian 



160 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Church. See Hebrews viii. 6-13. The chil- 
dren of believers hold a similar relation to the 
Christian Church as that held by Jewish chil- 
dren to the Jewish Church; but they were 
constituted members o£ the Jewish Church by 
the administration of circumcision. See Gen- 
esis xvii. 9-14. Therefore children may receive 
this Church rite, and should be regarded as 
members of the visible Church until their 
want of conformity to its requirements ex- 
cludes them. 

Ques. What other proof can be adduced? 

III. FAMILY BAPTISMS. 
Proof. — "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller 
of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, 
heard us : whose heart the Lord opened, that she at- 
tended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 
And when she was baptized, and her household, she be- 
sought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful 
to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And 
she constrained us." (Acts xvi. 14, 15.) 

Note. 

Notice that nothing is said about her family 
exercising any religious duty, but it is said of 
her, "whose heart the Lord opened, that she 
attended unto the things which were spoken 
of Paul." As an adult person she repented 



Prominent Doctrines of Methodism. 161 

and believed; and as nothing is said about 
her family repenting and believing, but that 
they were baptized, the inference is that her 
family consisted of children too young to be- 
lieve, and that they were baptized on the faith 
of the mother. 

Give the case of the jailer's family: 
"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake 
unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in 
his house. And he took them the same hour of the 
night, and washed their stripes ; and was baptized, he 
and all his, straightway." (Acts xvi. 31-33.) 

Notes. 

1. The term "household," in the ordinary 
sense, includes all the children in a family. 
When it is said, " Joseph nourished his father, 
and his brethren, and all his father's house- 
hold, with bread, according to their families," 
little children are included. When the indus- 
trious mother is described, as " looking well to 
the ways of her household," the term includes 
her children, for it is said, " her children shall 
rise up and call her blessed." 

2. Many attempts have been made to prove 
that there were no children in these families, 
but all such attempts are vain. The probabil- 

11 



162 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

ities are against all such reasoning. Besides 
these families Paul baptized "the household" 
of Stephanas. As households or families gen- 
erally include children, we have no right to 
exclude them from those mentioned in the Bi- 
ble. " Who can believe that not one infant 
was found in all these families, and that Jews 
accustomed to the circumcision, and Gentiles 
accustomed to the lustration of infants, should 
not have also brought them to baptism?" — 
Bengel. " The practice of infant baptism does 
not rest on inference, but on the continuity 
and identity of the covenant of grace to Jew 
and Gentile, the sign only of admission being 
altered." — Alford. 

3. The apostolic practice was that of bap- 
tizing entire families. That is certain. Now, 
if modern preachers follow them, they will 
baptize entire families, and if they go on in 
doing so, it is certain they will baptize infants, 
for the continued practice of baptizing entire 
families will necessarily result in the baptism 
of infants. To follow apostolic example is to 
baptize entire families, and the continued 
practice of baptizing entire families is to bap- 
tize infants. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
Church Government. 



LESSON XXXVII. 
CONFERENCES. 
Ques. How many Conferences are connected 
with our Church? 

Ans. Five — the General Conference, the An- 
nual Conference, the District Conference, the 
Quarterly Conference, and the Church Confer- 
ence. 

I. The General Conference. 

Ques. What is a General Conference, and of 
whom is it composed? 

Ans. The supreme government of the Church 
is vested in the General Conference. It is a 
law-making body. It is composed of the bish- 
ops of the whole Church, and of ministerial 
and lay delegates, who are elected by the sev- 
eral Annual Conferences. The clerical mem- 
bers of each Annual Conference elect one 
representative of their number for every thirty- 
six of the whole body. An equal number of 

(163) 



164 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

lay delegates is then elected by the lay mem- 
bers. 

Ques. What is the business of the General 
Conference ? 

Ans. 1. The election of bishops when deemed 
necessary. 

2. To create and re-adjust the boundaries of 
the Annual Conferences. 

3. To revise the laws and rules of the Dis- 
cipline. 

4. To superintend the interests of Foreign 
Missions. 

5. To elect officers to conduct the business 
of the general Publishing House. 

Notes. 

1. The General Conference meets once in 
four years, its sessions lasting about four 
weeks, and is presided over by the bishops, 
each one presiding in turn, a day at a time. 

2. The lay delegates appeared for the first 
time in the General Conference in 1870. The 
General Conference of 1866 having recom- 
mended it, and the Annual Conferences hav- 
ing concurred, it became a law and took effect 
in 1870. The introduction of the lay element 
into the General Conference puts the actual 



Church Government 165 

government of the Church equally into the 
hands of the laymen and the ministry. It is 
the only law-making power in the Church, the 
Annual Conferences being only administrative 
and judicial. " The General Conference car- 
ries out its laws through an executive arrange- 
ment consisting of the bishops and presiding 
elders. By their agency it exercises a general 
superintendence over the Church." 

II. The Annual Conference. 

Ques. What is an Annual Conference, and 
of whom composed? 

Ans. The ministers within certain bounda- 
ries assemble each year, and this meeting is 
called an Annual Conference. It is composed 
of all the traveling ministers in full connec- 
tion and four lay delegates, one of whom may 
be a local preacher, from each presiding eld- 
er's district. 

Ques. What rights do the lay members have ? 

Ans. The lay members have equal rights 
with the ministerial, " to participate in all the 
business of the Conference, except such as in- 
volves ministerial character." The bishops, 
by virtue of their office, are Presidents of the 
Annual Conferences. The bishop presiding, 



166 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

after careful consultation with the presiding 
elders, appoints annually each minister to his 
field of labor. 

Ques. What is the business of the Confer- 
ence ? 

Ans. The principal items of business are 
the following: 1. To receive from each pastor 
a report of his year's work. 2. To admit can- 
didates for pastoral work on trial or into full 
connection. 3. To inquire into the life and 
administration of each pastor. 4. To try any 
who may be accused of immorality or hetero- 
doxy. 5. To examine into the qualifications 
of candidates for deacon's and elder's orders, 
and elect the same to such orders. 6. To in- 
augurate measures to promote the work of 
Missions, Sunday-schools, and education with- 
in the boundaries of the Conference. 7. To 
distribute the collected funds for the relief of 
the worn-out ministers, and the widows and 
orphans of the deceased ministers who died 
members of the Conference. 8. The appoint- 
ment of the preachers. Whatever may be the 
size and number of the Conferences, they are 
all organized on the same plan and governed 
by the same laws. There are forty- two Con- 
ferences in the M. E. Church, South. 



Church Government. 167 

LESSON XXXVIIL 

III. DlSTBICT CONFEKENCE. 

Ques. What is a District Conference, and of 
whom composed? 

Ans. A District Conference is held annually 
in each presiding elder's district. It is com- 
posed of all the traveling and local preachers 
within the bounds of the district, and a cer- 
tain number of laymen from each pastoral 
charge, which number is fixed by each Annual 
Conference. The presiding elder is the Pres- 
ident, unless a bishop be present. 

Ques. What is the business of this Confer- 
ence? 

Ans. 1. It is the duty of this Conference to 
inquire respecting the spiritual condition of 
each pastoral charge, and as to the attendance 
of the people upon the ordinances and social 
meetings of the Church. 2. To inquire re- 
specting new fields for establishing missions, 
and what existing missions ought to be raised 
to circuits. 3. To inquire if the collections 
for Church purposes are properly attended to, 
and as to the comfortableness of churches and 
parsonages. 4. To inquire into the condition 
of Sunday-schools, manner of conducting 
them, and adopt suitable measures for insur- 



168 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

ing success; and also as to the educational en- 
terprises of the district; and to take a general 
oversight of all the temporal and spiritual af- 
fairs of the district, subject to the provisions 
of the Discipline. 5. To elect four lay dele- 
gates, one of whom may be a local preacher, 
to the ensuing Annual Conference. 6. These 
Conferences give prominence to preaching, 
prayer-meetings, love-feasts, and revival ex- 
ercises. 

IY. QUARTERLY CONFERENCE. 

Ques. What is a Quarterly Conference, and 
of whom composed? 

Ans. 1. The Quarterly Conference is an of- 
ficial meeting, held four times a year, for the 
purpose of transacting the business of each 
one of the pastoral charges. 

2. It is composed of the pastor in charge, 
the local preachers, exhorters, stewards, trust- 
ees, class-leaders, superintendents of Sunday- 
schools, and secretaries of the Church Con- 
ferences. 

Ques. Who is chairman of this Confer- 
ence? 

Ans. The presiding elder (in his absence 
the preacher in charge) is President of the 
meeting. He also appoints the times of hold- 



Church Government. 169 

ing the meetings, signs the records, and de- 
cides all questions of law. 

Ques. What is the business of this Confer- 
ence? 

Ans. 1. It takes account of the temporal 
and spiritual welfare of the Church. 2. Elects 
trustees, stewards, and superintendents of Sun- 
day-schools. 3. Licenses persons to preach or 
exhort. 4. Tries local preachers when accused, 
and is a court of appeal to laymen tried in the 
Church. 5. Recommends suitable persons to 
join the Annual Conference, and such local 
preachers as desire deacon's or elder's orders. 

Note. 

The minutes of this Conference must be reg- 
ularly recorded, signed, and preserved. All 
ministers of every office and grade must first 
be licensed by a Quarterly Conference. None 
can get into the Annual Conference except 
they be recommended by it. The functions of 
this body are organic; its work is executive 
and judicial, and is closely related to the order 
and prosperity of the Church. It is the great 
wheel moving the business machinery of each 
circuit, station, and mission, and is indispen- 
sable to our system. 



170 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

V. Church Conferences. 

Ques. What is a Church Conference? 

Ans. This is a meeting of each society in a 
pastoral charge". The pastor is President. A 
secretary is elected to note the proceedings. 
The roll of members is called. All the mem- 
bers of the society have a right to participate 
in the meeting. It is a kind of mass-meeting 
of that particular Church. 

Ques. What is the purpose of this meet- 
ing? 

Ans. To lay before all the members reports: 

1. Of the pastor, as to the state of his work. 

2. Of the class-leader. 3. Of the superintend- 
ent of the Sunday-schools. 4. Of the stew- 
ards. 

The meeting further inquires into what is 
being done for the relief of the poor, for the 
cause of Missions, for the circulation of our 
religious literature, and any other matter that 
may advance the good of the Church. 

The meeting "may strike off the names of 
any who, on account of removal or other cause, 
have been lost sight of for twelve months : pro- 
vided, however, that if such member appear 
and claim membership, he may be restored 
by a vote of the meeting." The information 



Church Government. 171 

given by the above reports is designed to en- 
list the energies of the whole Church in its 
local work of benevolence and spiritual enter- 
prise. The main end of the Church Confer- 
ence is to put every member to work for the 
cause of Christ. 

LESSON XXXIX. 
MINISTERIAL OFFICERS. 

Ques. Who are the ministerial officers in the 
Methodist Church? 

Ans. Bishops, presiding elders, pastors, and 
local preachers. 

I. Bishops. 

Ques. How are bishops constituted, and what 
are their duties? 

Ans. Bishops are constituted by the election 
of the General Conference and the laying on 
of the hands of three bishops. Their duties 
are: 1. To preside in the General and Annual 
Conferences. 2. To make the appointments 
of the preachers. 3. To form the districts, 
circuits, and stations. 4. To ordain bishops, 
elders, and deacons. 5. To decide questions 
of law. 6. To prescribe a course of study for 
young ministers. 7. To change preachers in 



172 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

the interval of Conferences, whenever neces- 
sary. 8. To travel through the Connection at 
large, and oversee the temporal and spiritual 
welfare of the whole Church. 

Note. 

The episcopacy of Methodism is not dioc- 
esan, like that of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church, but is co-extensive with the territory 
of the Church at large. It differs from the 
Episcopal Church mainly in not claiming 
apostolic succession. Methodist bishops have 
neither legislative nor voting power in the 
Conferences. They, according to our theory, 
are elders as to ministerial order, and episco- 
pal as to the high office of general superin- 
tendency. Our moderate episcopacy does not 
claim any divine right for its existence, but af- 
firms that no specific form of Church polity is 
prescribed in the New Testament, and there- 
fore the Church is free to adopt such a form 
as in its judgment will best promote the cause 
of Christ. 

II. Presiding Elder. 

Ques. By whom is the presiding elder ap- 
pointed to his office? 

Ans. The presiding elder is appointed by 



Church Government. 173 

the bishop, and is put in charge of a district 
having from twelve to twenty pastoral charges 
in it. 

Ques. What are the official duties of the pre- 
siding elder? 

Ans. The official duties of the presiding eld- 
er are many and weighty, and for the infor- 
mation of the people it may be well for us to 
specify. The duties of the presiding elder are : 
1. To travel through his district, in order to 
preach and oversee the spiritual and temporal 
affairs of the Church. 2. To take charge of 
all the preachers in his district in the absence 
of the bishop. 3. To change, receive, and sus- 
pend preachers in his district, during the in- 
tervals of the Conferences. 4. To hold four 
Quarterly Conferences in each pastoral charge 
during the year. 5. To decide all questions of 
law which may come up in the regular busi- 
ness of the Quarterly Conference. 6. To see 
that every part of the Discipline be enforced 
in his district, etc. 7. If any preacher dies 
or leaves his work, the presiding elder, as far 
as possible, fills his place with another. 8. 
He is ex-officio President of the District Con- 
ference in the absence of a bishop. There 
are some other minor duties not mentioned, 



174 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

but we have specified enough to show the im- 
portance of this office. 

Note. 

No class of ministers in the Methodist econ- 
omy fills a more important position than the 
presiding elders. This will appear when we con- 
sider, first, their broad field of ministerial use- 
fulness. They preach over the widest scope of 
territory, to the largest congregations of ap- 
preciative hearers, and under the most inspir- 
ing circumstances. Quarterly meeting occa- 
sions have always been, among Methodists at 
least, the most attractive and fruitful of good 
results. There is usually the fullest attend- 
ance of the members of the particular Church 
where these meetings are held, and also offi- 
cial brethren of other Churches. And, fur- 
thermore, it is the privilege of the presiding 
elders to preach to such congregations almost 
every Sunday in the year. And on such occa- 
sions they preach their select, most powerful, 
and impressive sermons. The field of min- 
isterial usefulness, then, opened to the presid- 
ing elders is vastly superior to that of other 
preachers. In the light of these facts, it 
seems strange to hear the question asked, as it 



Church Government. 175 

sometimes is: "What is the use of presiding 
elders?" If, as is conceded cheerfully, the 
pastors of stations and circuits deserve to be 
well paid, highly esteemed, and dearly loved, 
because of their ministerial usefulness, then 
the presiding elders have a higher claim for 
the same benefactions of the people. 

III. Pastor. 

Ques. How is a preacher constituted a pas- 
tor? 

Ans. The preacher in charge of work is one 
who has the pastoral care of a station, circuit, 
or mission, by the appointment of the regularly- 
constituted authority of the Church. He may 
be an elder, deacon, or an unordained preach- 
er on trial, or a local preacher employed by 
the presiding elder. 

Ques. "What are his duties? 

Ans. 1. To preach. 2. To receive, try, and 
expel members convicted of immorality. 3. 
To appoint class-leaders. 4. To see that the 
sacraments are duly observed. 5. To hold 
quarterly meetings in the absence of the pre- 
siding elder. 6. To report to the Quarterly 
Conference. the general condition of his work. 
7. To promote all benevolent collections of the 



176 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

Church. 8. To report the number and state 
of the Sunday-schools. 

Note. 
Pastors are represented in the Bible as hav- 
ing "authority " and "rule " over the Churches. 
"Obey them that have the rule over you." 
They are to "preach the word," to "teach," 
to "baptize," to "feed the flock." They are 
sometimes called "elders," because of their 
oversight; "pastors," because of their watch- 
care; "ministers," because of the services ren- 
dered; "watchmen," because of their wide- 
awake vigilance; "embassadors," because of 
their authority to effect peace between God 
and man. The three functions of preaching 
the word, watching over the congregation, 
and ruling in the congregation by the exer- 
cising of discipline are clearly laid down in 
the New Testament. The responsibility of all 
these rests upon the pastor. 

IY. Local Preachers. 

Ques. How are local preachers constituted, 
and to what body are they amenable ? 

Ans. Local preachers are constituted by the 
authority of the Quarterly Conference, and 
are amenable to that body. They must come 



Church Government. Ill 

before that body properly recommended by 
the individual Church of which they are mem- 
bers. Such applicants are licensed to preach 
when, on examination, the Conference is sat- 
isfied that they have gifts, graces, and useful- 
ness. 

Note. 

Local or lay preachers began with the early 
years of Methodism. They have always been 
a powerful arm in the Methodist work. They 
support themselves by secular labor, and 
preach in their neighborhood on Sundays, 
and render a very valuable service to the 
Church. Philip Embury, Captain Webb, and 
Robert Strawbridge, three local preachers, 
founded Methodism in America, and their 
successors have planted it in the new States 
of the "West. Throughout the entire range 
of the Methodist Connection the local preach- 
ers are still an effective and faithful body of 
ministerial laborers. From their ranks come 
the great army of the itinerants. They usu- 
ally begin as exhorters, graduate to the local 
ministry, and thence into the itinerancy. 

No feature of Methodism shows more prac- 
tical wisdom than this threefold arrangement 
and graduation of her ministry. The exhort- 
12 



178 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

er must show improvement before he can be- 
come a local preacher, and the local preacher 
must show capacity before he can enter the 
itinerant ranks. 

LESSON XL. 
THE LAY OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH. 

Ques. Who constitute the lay officers of the 
Methodist Church? 

Ans. Exhorters, class - leaders, stewards, 
trustees, superintendents of Sunday-schools, 
and secretaries. 

I. Exhorter. 

Ques. How is an exhorter made, and what 
are his duties? 

Ans. An exhorter is one licensed by the 
Quarterly Conference to read scriptural les- 
sons, and make a practical application of their 
truths to the public congregation. They are 
not expected to select a text and preach a reg- 
ular sermon. Their service is confined to sing- 
ing, prayer, and public exhortation. They are 
useful laborers in our Church. Mr. Wesley 
permitted none of his members to exercise 
even the function of an exhorter without li- 
cense, and so it is ingrafted in our economy 
that license to exhort must be given and annu- 



Church Government 179 



ally renewed by the Quarterly Conference, to 
which body the exhorters are responsible for 
their official conduct. 

II. Class-leader. 

Ques. Who appoints the class-leader, and 
what are his duties? 

Ans. The class-leader is appointed by the 
preacher in charge. Mr. Wesley said: "That 
it may be more easily discerned whether tho 
members of our societies are working out their 
salvation, they are divided into little compa- 
nies called classes. A leader is appointed, 
whose duty it is: 1. To see each person in his 
class once a week; to inquire how their souls 
are prospering, to advise, reprove, comfort, or 
exhort them. 2. To report to the pastor any 
that are sick or walking disorderly." 

III. Stewards. 

Ques. How are the stewards elected, and 
what are their duties? 

Ans. Stewards are elected by the Quarterly 
Conference. Their business is: 1. To attend 
to the financial interests of the charge. 2. To 
advise and confer with the pastor as to the 
general management of the work. 

Their duties are many and weighty. The 



180 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

question of a liberal and generous salary for 
the pastor depends upon them, and whether 
the salary allowed shall be paid depends ex- 
clusively on their efforts in collecting the 
money. No other persons are authorized to 
collect the estimated amount. If they fail, the 
failure is remediless. Faithfulness in this of- 
fice is of the highest importance to the wel- 
fare of the ministry and the prosperity of the 
Church. 

IY. Trustees. 

Ques. Who holds all Church property? 

Ans. All Church property — such as meeting- 
houses, parsonages, and cemeteries — held ac- 
cording to the Discipline is vested in a Board 
of Trustees, who hold it in trust for the use 
of the members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South. The ministers have never 
claimed, nor do they hold in law, any title to 
such property. Churches thus held are obliged 
to be opened to ministers duly sent by Con- 
ference. These churches are held for the sa- 
cred purpose of divine worship, and are to be 
closed against all political or secular meet- 
ings. The trustees are elected by the Quar- 
terly Conferences, and are responsible to the 
same. 



Church Government. 181 

Y. SUPERINTENDENTS OF SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

Ques. How are the superintendents elected ? 

Ans. The Quarterly Conference elects su- 
perintendents of Sunday-schools on the nom- 
ination of the preacher in charge. The office 
of the superintendent is one of vast impor- 
tance to the future prosperity of the Church, 
and therefore great care should be taken to 
put in men of the greatest efficiency. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Church Government (Continued). 



LESSON XLI. 
PECULIAR USAGES OF METHODISM. 

Ques. What are the peculiar usages of Meth- 
odism ? 

Ans. The class-meeting, the love-feast, and 
the itinerancy. 

I. Class-meeting. 

Ques. What was the design of class-meet- 
ing? 

Ans. In order to raise money to pay a church 
debt, Mr. Wesley divided his people into class- 
es of twelve, requiring "every member to give 
a penny a week." These classes, meeting week- 
ly to contribute their pennies, became also 
meetings of religions experience. Thus what 
were at first business meetings finally devel- 
oped into class-meetings, which have become 
one of the peculiar institutions of Methodism. 
(182) 



Church Government 183 

Ques. What are the benefits of the class- 
meeting? 

Am. 1. It leads a man to cultivate personal 
religion, by telling his own experience and 
hearing that of others. 

2. The man who relates his experience is 
perhaps more benefited than the hearers. It 
makes religion intensely a personal matter. 
" Come, hear what He hath done for my soul." 
In this matter we talk about ourselves with- 
out egotism. It puts a man to thinking about 
the dealings of God with his soul. It leads a 
man to obey the apostolic injunction: "Exam- 
ine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith." 
Self-examination is very important. The lack 
of it swamped the foolish builder spoken of in 
the sermon of Christ. It shut the door against 
the foolish virgins. These meetings are then 
especially valuable in leading persons to fre- 
quent personal examinations. 

3. The class-meeting promotes the spirit of 
fraternal sympathy, the communion of saints. 
" I believe in the communion of saints." It is 
a spiritual feast. It is a foretaste of heaven. 
The fragrance of the blooming garden is not 
so sweet and refreshing. It is more genial 
than the beaming of a warm sun after a season 



184 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

of cold, cloudy weather. " Behold, how . . . 
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in 
unity!" 

4. Class-meetings accomplish great good in 
leading men to a confession of their faults. 
There is nothing here like the Eomish con- 
fessional. The confession is voluntary, not 
enforced. Voluntary confession is good for 
the health of the soul. So James thought: 
" Confess your faults one to another, and pray 
one for another, that ye may be healed." It 
leads a man to abandon his faults; it enlists 
the prayers of his brethren, and thus has 
healing and curing effects. When the prodi- 
gal confessed, "I have sinned," he arose and 
came to his father. 

5. Class-meetings are eminently pleasing to 
God. " Then they that feared the Lord spake 
often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, 
and heard it, and a book of remembrance was 
written before him for them that feared the 
Lord, and that thought upon his name. And 
they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in 
that day when I make up my jewels." The 
eloquent speeches of legislative halls and 
kingly parliaments may be written down by 
ten thousand editors of political journals, but 



Church 'Government 185 

they are not written in the Book of God; but 
the class-meeting talks of God's people are. 
God thinks so much of these meetings as to 
have angel reporters there to take down ev- 
ery word, and have it put in the celestial jour- 
nals. 

6. These meetings serve to kindle religious 
feelings. In such a meeting the heart is 
drawn out in sympathy, prayer, and desire, 
and thus a warmer, purer flame is kindled; a 
fresher love toward God and man is aroused. 
When Christ held a kind of class-meeting with 
the disciples on their way to Emmaus, they 
said one to another: " Did not our hearts burn 
within us, while he talked with us by the 
way?" These disciples were in the gloom of 
spiritual winter, but their feelings soon began 
to kindle, burn, and flame as Christ talked with 
them. Their clouds were gone, the winter was 
over, the life of spring began to bud and blos- 
som; balmy air, clear skies, and the warm Sun 
of righteousness were now pouring a tide of 
gladness into their souls. How many have 
gone to these meetings with the darkness of 
spiritual winter upon them, and have come 
out with the brightness and beauty of spring- 
all around them! 



186 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

LESSON XLII. 
II. The Itinerancy. 

Ques. What is the Methodist itinerancy, and 
what three things are required to constitute it ? 

Ans. A marked peculiarity of Methodism is 
the itinerancy of. her ministry. It is a simple 
and easy plan of shifting the ministers from 
one field of labor to another. It requires three 
things : 

1. That the congregations give up their 
right to choose their pastors. 

2. That the ministers surrender their right 
to select their own field of labor. 

3. That the appointment be referred to a 
competent, impartial, untrammeled, but re- 
sponsible authority arranged by the law of 
the Church. 

Ques. What liberty does it allow ? 

Ans. Both the people and ministers, how- 
ever, are at liberty to make known their pe- 
culiar condition, wishes, and circumstances to 
the appointing power. And thus, under this 
elastic system, all parties have their own choice 
when it is clear that the good of the work will 
be served. While the bishops have the sole 
authority of making the appointments, they 



Church Government 187 

always do so under the advice of the pre- 
siding elders. They are eyes and ears for the 
bishop, and month for the people and the 
preachers. Having traveled through all the 
work, and being intimately acquainted with 
the wants of the people and the peculiar qual- 
ifications of the preachers, they rarely fail in 
so advising the appointing power as to secure 
the best disposition to be made of the minis- 
ters. A minister under this system is liable 
to be moved after one year's service, yet he 
may remain four years if all the parties con- 
cerned think it best, but beyond this term he 
cannot go. 

Ques. On what theory is it based? 

Ans. The theory of the Methodist itineran- 
cy is based upon the fact that "the world is 
the parish" of Methodism, that all men ev- 
erywhere must be called to repentance. It 
is based upon the great commission, " Go ye 
into all the world, and preach the gospel to 
every creature.' 5 " Go ye; " do not wait until 
the people come to you. In the settled min- 
istry the people call the preacher; in the itin- 
erant system the minister eeeks the lost sheep. 
Jesus Christ himself was an itinerating preach- 
er. His circuit embraced Judea, Samaria, and 



188 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Galilee. The apostles were commanded to " go 
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The 
"seventy" were sent forth, two and two, "into 
every city and place." " Paul said unto Bar- 
nabas, Let us go again, and visit our brethren 
in every city where we have preached the word 
of the Lord." Philip traveled the new circuit, 
Samaria, which embraced Csesarea, Gaza, Azo- 
tus, and all the cities on toward Csesarea. And 
on the first round he had a great revival at Sa- 
maria, and was instrumental in the conversion 
of the Ethiopian eunuch, in the southern part 
of his circuit. 

Ques. What are the peculiar advantages of 
the system? 

Ans. 1. It keeps all the Churches constant- 
ly supplied with pastors. The weak and poor 
Churches are as regularly supplied as the rich 
ones. Though such Churches be out of the 
way and able to pay but little, yet they always 
have a pastor. Consequently we never have 
what is so frequently found in other denomi- 
nations — viz., vacant churches. 

2. No effective preacher in this system is 
ever found without a pastoral charge. We 
have no unemployed ministers waiting year 
after year for some congregation to call them. 



Church Government. 189 

The ministerial waste of time in other denom- 
inations in this respect is enormous. We no- 
ticed in a paper not long since that some eight 
hundred ministers in the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States were without regular pas- 
torates. 

3. It funishes our people with a great vari- 
ety of ministerial talent. One year they have 
a logician, to defend the doctrines of the 
Church. Next they have a son of thunder, 
to awake and arouse the sleepers. This year 
they haye a revivalist, to get the people con- 
verted; the next, an experienced disciplinari- 
an, to train them. 

4. It re-adjusts annually the whole machin- 
ery of pastoral relations, so as to secure the 
greatest efficiency possible. 

5. It takes ministers out of and puts them 
into pastoral charge without that violence and 
strife which attends the dissolution of pastoral 
relations in the other denominations. 

6. Finally, it is well known that the changes 
in the settled ministry, on an average, are quite 
as frequent as among the Methodists, but with- 
out the harmony and efficiency of the itiner- 
ant system. We believe the plan to be provi- 
dential. It has worked wonders, and we ex- 



190 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

pect to adhere to it until the trump of judg- 
ment sounds. 

ZESSOJY XLIII. 

III. Love-feast. 

Ques. What is the design of the love-feast? 

Ans. The design of the love-feast is to cul- 
tivate and exercise fraternal love and good 
fellowship. It is done by eating and drinking 
the simple elements of bread and water as a 
beautiful evidence of the same, and by speak- 
ing together of religious experiences for the 
purpose of strengthening each other's faith 
and magnifying the goodness of God. The 
feasts of charity were held by the primitive 
Church very much as Moravians and Meth- 
odists now hold them. Dr. Neander, in his 
"Life of Christ," says: "At the agapce, or love- 
feasts, all distinctions of earthly condition and 
rank were to disappear in Christ." Tertullian 
says: " Our supper shows its character by its 
name; it bears the Greek name of love." The 
following scriptures allude to it: "And they 
continued steadfastly ... in breaking of 
bread, and in prayers." (Acts ii. 42. ) " Upon 
the first day of the week, when the disciples 
came together to break bread." (Acts xx. 7.) 
" These are spots in your feasts of charity, 



Church Government 191 

when they feast with yon." (Jude 12.) The 
love-feast in the apostolic Church preceded 
immediately the commnnion of the Lord's 
Supper. The Discipline says: "Love -feasts 
shall be held quarterly, or at such other times 
as the preacher may consider expedient." 
They are to be held by partaking of " a little 
bread and water in token of brotherly love." 



CHAPTER X. 

Church Government (Continued). 



LESSON XLIV. 
CHURCH-MEMBERSHIP. 

Ques. Who are admitted into the Methodist 
Church? 

Ans. 1. Adults who have been converted. 
Such persons, of course, as have realized a 
change of heart; those who have felt that 
their sins have been pardoned, their hearts 
regenerated, and experienced the fact that 
"the love of God has been shed abroad in 
their hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto 
them," are admitted into our Church. It has 
ever been characteristic of Methodism to in- 
sist on experimental religion. The early Meth- 
odists preached experience, told their own 
experiences, and this living experience consti- 
tutes the very salt of Methodism, and keeps it 
from taint and mold. This experience gives 
it a vital spirit. " Life and power " is a famil- 
iar note among our people. 
(192) 



Church Government. 193 

Ques. What other classes are admitted? 

Ans. 2. Penitent seekers. The Methodist 
Church, besides opening her doors to adult 
converts, takes in also penitent seekers. The 
following is the condition for the admission of 
such persons: "There is only one condition 
previously required of those who desire ad- 
mission into these societies — a desire to flee 
from the wrath to come, and to be saved from 
their sins." This condition implies a willing- 
ness to be saved. This willingness to be saved 
implies also a readiness to be all and do all 
that the gospel requires of those who become 
partakers of salvation — a willingness to accept 
salvation from sin. To be willing to accept of 
salvation, therefore, implies a desire to be de- 
livered from the dominion of sin. It implies 
such repentance as hates sin and desires puri- 
ty of heart, and a fixedness of purpose to use 
the means of grace prescribed by the Church 
in order to attain actual salvation. Hence 
such persons coming into our Church pledge 
themselves: 1. To abstain from all evil. 2. To 
do good of every kind. 3. To attend upon all 
the ordinances of God. This "desire to flee 
the wrath to come and be saved from sin " is 
a deep, moving, stirring desire "fixed in the 
13 



194 The Shield of the Young Methodist 

soul." It is not a feeble, transient desire, but 
such a desire as brings forth fruit meet for 
repentance — a desire ripening into repentance 
toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Repentance implies pre-existing faith, and 
faith implies pre-existing repentance. Both 
are produced by the preliminary grace of the 
Holy Spirit, to be perfected by the willing- 
ness of man using the means of salvation. 
Now when such persons come to us desiring 
to be saved we admit them into the Church, 
where complete salvation may be attained. 



LESSON XLV. 

THE INTRODUCTION OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN 
INTO THE CHURCH. 

Que's. What is the duty of pastors in refer- 
ence to baptized children? 

Ans. The Discipline says : "1. Let the min- 
ister diligently instruct and exhort all parents 
to dedicate their children to the Lord in bap- 
tism as early as convenient. 2. Let him pay 
special attention to the children, speak to 
them personally and kindly on experimental 
and practical godliness. 3. As soon as they 
comprehend the responsibilities involved in a 
public profession of faith in Christ, and give 



Church Government 195 

evidence of a sincere and earnest determina- 
tion to discharge the same, see that they be 
duly recognized as members of the Church, 
agreeably to the provisions of the Discipline." 

Note. 

Baptized children then ought to be enrolled 
by name in the register of each Church, as 
composing a distinct class of candidate mem- 
bers, and thus be held in expectancy till the 
time when they are to be examined, and those 
that are found to meet the prescribed condi- 
tions of the Discipline should be admitted 
into the full membership of the Church. 

" There are but two kingdoms — one of truth 
and goodness and light, the other of falsehood 
and selfishness and darkness. The little chil- 
dren do not belong to the kingdom of the 
devil till some one has rescued them in 
Christ's name; they belong to Christ, unless 
the devil carries them off and makes them 
captives to sin and death, from which they 
may still be rescued by Christian chivalry. 
The little children are not to wait till they 
become as men before they can enter into 
Christ's kingdom; the grown men are to be 
converted and become as little children be- 
fore they can enter it." 



196 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

We have a right to hope, to pray, to expect 
for our children that, like John the Baptist, 
they will be filled from their mother's womb 
with the Holy Spirit. It is a most dangerous 
error to suppose that they cannot have the di- 
vine help and inspiration till they have come 
to be old enough to comprehend its desirabil- 
ity and to ask for it. It is a most dangerous 
error to suppose that our children must live 
in the wilderness till they are old enough to 
seek the promised land of their own accord. 
Not till the Church learns to train its own chil- 
dren — not only for Christ, but in Christ, from 
the cradle, so that they shall always be Christ's 
— will it begin to really vanquish the world. 
Till then it can hope for nothing more than 
to make reprisals. 

I think that those of us who really believe 
this should carry out our belief consistently; 
that we should regard our children as mem- 
bers of the Church as truly as they are citi- 
zens of the commonwealth; that we should 
repudiate, in stronger terms than we are wont 
to do, the notion that they cannot be members 
of the outward community of saints till they 
have reached years of discretion; that we 
should accustom ourselves to regard them as 



Church Government. 197 

members with us of the household of faith, 
and should accustom them to so regard them- 
selves; and that we may well use the rite of 
baptism as a sign of this faith that brings our 
children into Christ's household with our- 
selves. ' 

LESSON XLVL 

THE DUTY OF JOINING THE CHUKCH. 

Ques. What are the benefits of Church-mem- 
bership ? 

Am. 1. Every one desiring to save his soul 
should seek a spiritual home in some branch 
of the Church of God. That this is a duty is 
seen from the teaching and practice of the 
early disciples. The converts on the Day of 
Pentecost immediately joined the band of dis- 
ciples. "And the same day there were added 
unto them about three thousand souls." ( Acts 
ii. 41. ) Also the converts in Lystra, Iconium, 
and Antioch were organized into Churches. 
Hence it is said of the apostles: "They re- 
turned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and 
Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, 
and exhorting them to continue in the faith." 
(Acts xiv. 21, 22.) Within the Church thus 
organized are the ordinances of the gospel, 



198 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

which are means appointed by God to help 
ns work out onr salvation — such as spiritual 
discipline, the communion, and the pastoral 
watch-care. 

2. Consider, too, the benefit of pulpit in- 
struction. How much light and warmth it 
sheds upon the world in this way! Think 
of eighty thousand ministers in the United 
States — men of culture and well skilled in 
preaching, pouring every Sabbath streams of 
moral light and truth upon the people. What 
a vast amount of good is done ! What a great 
help it is to sit under the enlightening and 
stirring ministrations of the pulpit. It has 
pleased God to save men by preaching. 

3. Then again, in the Church is the stirring 
influence of sacred song. The hymn-book is 
a power in the land. There can never be such 
a bond of union as sweet and animating song. 
How often on the wings of song our dull souls 
begin to take fire and rise heavenward. How 
often it comes as a refreshing rain on parched 
fields. 

4. Furthermore, the Church generates spir- 
itual warmth. It is difficult for single indi- 
viduals, unless they be very highly endowed, to 
create in themselves fervor when alone. Now 



Church Government. 199 

and then there is a nature that can generate 
its own fire ; but ordinarily you must put stick 
upon stick, and spark to spark, and flame to 
flame, in order to make fervor. And it is the 
association of feeling, it is feeling in the mul- 
titude, whose thought kindles in each individ- 
ual the highest forms of emotion. There are 
very few who have the power of solitary zeal, 
and there are very few who have not the pow- 
er of associated zeal. The Christian religion 
depended at the first, and has ever since de- 
pended, and will to the end depend, very large- 
ly on Church conditions. For a religion whose 
element is love, and not awe ; a religion whose 
very life is sweet and pure emotion, must thrive 
by the social principle. It was never meant 
that Christians should be solitary. It was 
never meant that they should feed themselves. 
It was meant that they should thrive in their 
combined and associated capacities. 



CHAPTER XL 

Church Government (Continued). 



LESSON XLVII. 
MINISTERIAL SUPPORT. 

Ques. Has God made provision for the sup- 
port of his ministers? 

Ans. Yes. In the beginning God instituted 
a system of tithes for the express purpose of 
maintaining divine worship. The gold and 
silver of earth were stored away to do this. 
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness 
thereof." Churches cannot be built without 
money. Missionary operations cannot be car- 
ried on without money. The question of the 
world's conversion is largely one of money. 
The efficiency of the ministry is largely de- 
pendent upon a competent support. 

Repeat the divine law on this subject: 

"And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of 

the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's : it is 

holy unto the Lord." "And concerning the tithe of the 

herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under 

(200) 



Church Government. 201 

the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." (Lev. 
xxvii. 30, 32.) 

Ques. What use was made of this tenth ? 

Ans. This one-tenth of the annual increase 
is that which was required from the beginning 
as the least that would meet the requirements 
of God's law. This was emphatically the 
Lord's tenth, and by him was wholly applied 
to the support of his ministering servants in 
the temple. To withhold it was to steal God's 
property. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye 
have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have 
we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." 
What follows? "Ye are cursed with a curse, 
for ye have robbed me, even this whole na- 
tion." 

Ques. Was this law repealed by the gospel 
dispensation? 

Ans. This law was not repealed by the gos- 
pel dispensation, but was fully indorsed by 
the New Testament writers. Paul says : " Do 
ye not know that they which minister about 
holy things live of the things of the temple? 
and they which wait at the altar are partakers 
with the altar? Even so hath the Lord or- 
dained that they which preach the gospel 
should live of the gospel." (1 Cor. ix. 13, 14.) 



202 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Note. 

Thus we see that the law of the tithe is ful- 
ly indorsed by the apostle. Jesus sanctioned 
the great liberality of Zaccheus when he gave 
" half his goods," commended the example of 
the poor widow who gave "all her living," and 
said concerning the law that he " came not to 
destroy, but to fulfill." The Church is the 
same through all ages, and the law to support 
her ministers must be the same. 

Ques. Does the Bible make the practice of 
constant giving a Christian duty? 

Ans. It does, very clearly and fully. 

Proofs. — " Honor the Lord with thy substance, and 
with the first-fruits of all thine increase : so shall thy 
barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst 
out with new wine." (Prov. iii. 9, 10.) "There is that 
scattereth, and yet increaseth ; and there is that with- 
holdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 
The liberal soul shall be made fat : and he that water- 
eth shall be watered also himself." (Prov. xi. 24, 25.) 
"And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and sat- 
isfy the afflicted soul ; then shall thy light rise in ob- 
scurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday : and the 
Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul 
in drought, and make fat thy bones : and thou shalt be 
like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose 
waters fail not." (Isa. lviii. 10, 11.) "Bring ye all the 
tithes into the store-house, that there may be meat in 



Church Government. 203 

mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the 
Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of 
heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall 
not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke 
the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy 
the fruits of your ground ; neither shall your vine cast 
her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of 
hosts." (Mai. iii. 10, 11.) "Give, and it shall be given 
unto you ; good measure, pressed down, and shaken to- 
gether, and running over, shall men give into your bo- 
som. For with the same measure that ye mete with- 
al it shall be measured to you again." (Luke vi. 38.) 
" I have showed you all things, how that so laboring 
ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the 
words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed 
to give than to receive." (Acts xx. 35.) "Every man 
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; 
not grudgingly, or of necessity : for God loveth a cheer- 
ful giver. And God is able to make all grace [the word 
'grace' here refers to temporal blessings] abound to- 
ward you ; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all 
things, may abound to every good work." (2 Cor. ix. 

Notes. 

1. The Ground of Giving. 

" The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness 
thereof; the world, and they that dwell there- 
in." The earth is God's great plantation, and 
man is his tenant; and nothing can be more 
reasonable than that he should require a tenth 



204 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

to support his ministers. This is his rental 
money. 

" Now this truth is a simple and even a self- 
evident one. God has made me, and I and all 
my powers belong to the Maker. He has made 
the earth and stored it with all its wealth; he 
has created the natural forces and laws which 
are used in the creation of wealth, and he has 
put all these at my service. My labor is his 
because I am his handiwork, because I am de- 
pendent upon him for my existence; because, 
therefore, my supreme allegiance is due to 
him; and all that by means of my labor I get 
out of the earth is his, because I am merely 
taking from the treasure-house that which he 
previously put there. All the wealth which is 
dug out of the earth in coal and silver and 
gold, or which is gathered from its surface in 
wheat and corn and the various cereals and 
fruits, or which is indirectly produced by 
changes of form, structure, and location, by 
the power of steam or by water-power or by 
the wafting wings of commerce, is gathered 
from stores which he has accumulated and 
made valuable by means of power with which 
he has endowed us. To take these stores and 
employ these powers for our own uses and 



Church Government. 205 

purposes is just as truly an act of dishonesty 
as for the clerk to take money from his em- 
ployer's till for his own pocket." 

2. The Cheapness of Preaching. 

Sometimes the people complain that the 
preachers require too much money. Now we 
assert that there is no class of men of the 
same ability and culture who work so cheaply 
as preachers. We think the ministers are 
equal in ability and mental culture to any 
other class of men. Yet while lawyers, doc- 
tors, and good business men average about 
$2,000 a year, the salaries of preachers will 
not average more than $500 a year. The 
amount paid every year to the lawyers of this 
country is put down at $35,000,000; that paid 
to the ministers at $25,000,000, a difference of 
$10,000,000. 

Then compare the expenses of the minis- 
try with the injurious luxuries of the people, 
and what a difference ! Thousands of dollars 
are paid for liquor, useless jewelry, and gaudy 
raiment. For every dollar that this nation 
spends for the ministry it spends $76 for in- 
toxicating liquors. North Carolina spends $12 
for liquor where one is given for the gospel. 



206 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

It is a sad fact that heathens spend more in 
keeping up their forms of idolatry than Chris- 
tians do in supporting their preachers. The 
annual cost of a heathen temple in India is set 
down at $450,000, a little more, perhaps, than 
is paid yearly to all the ministers in North 
Carolina. The annual expenses of keeping one 
idol in Khundoba is put down at $30,000. Dr. 
Duff says that one pagan festival cost $2,000,- 
000. 

It is stated on good authority that the dogs 
cost this nation two-thirds as much as the 
preachers. It is estimated that the dogs cost 
$16,000,000 per year, while the preachers cost 
only $25,000,000. Let us hear no more non- 
sense about the high cost of preaching, since 
it is demonstrated that there is nothing in all 
this land so cheap as the ministry, when we 
consider their talents and the benefits of their 
preaching. 

3. The Ability of the People to Pay. 

That the professed followers of Christ in 
our day and country possess a large share of 
this world's riches is plain to the most casual 
observer. They own broad acres of fertile 
land, on which the great staples of cotton, 



Church Government 207 

corn, wheat, tobacco, and fruits are grown 
under the warmth of God's sun and the show- 
ers of his rain. Others are engaged in the 
profitable business of merchandizing, mining, 
manufacturing, banking, and other spheres of 
trade. There are engineers, architects, law- 
yers, physicians, authors, school-teachers, and 
editors belonging to the Church of Christ. 
Most of the immense wealth of this country is 
in the hands of professed Christians. The 
wealth of this land is not held by infidels. 
"Why, then, does the cause of the Lord lan- 
guish for the want of money? Why, then, do 
Church interests languish for the want of 
money? 

4. The Lack of Willingness to Give. 

"The children of Israel brought a willing 
offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, 
whose heart made them willing to bring for 
all manner of work, which the Lord had com- 
manded to be made." This was said of the 
Israelites while contributions were required 
to build the tabernacle. The men gave their 
money, and the women gave their jewels. The 
"willing" heart made everything easy. It is 
not hard to raise money for Church purposes 



208 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

when the people have a willing heart to give. 
These Israelites were poor — a nation of ex- 
slaves. Though fond of jewelry, the women 
stripped themselves of their ornaments, of 
their bracelets and ear-rings — their tents of 
furniture, to build the tabernacle. They gave 
what was costly and dear to them. Why? 
They had a "willing heart." Enthusiasm 
makes hard things easy. It is hard to raise 
money for Missions, to pay the preacher, or to 
build churches, when there is no willingness 
of heart among the people. When the rain of 
revivals comes then streams of liberality flow. 



LESSON XL VIII. 
ON MISSIONS. 

Ques. For what purpose was the Christian 
Church appointed and organized? 

Ans. To bring the whole world to the 
knowledge of Jesus Christ. 

Ques. What was the last command of Jesus 
to his disciples, as given by Matthew? 

Ans. "Go ye therefore, and teach all na- 
tions, baptizing them in the name of the Fa- 
ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 
(Matt, xxviii. 19.) 



Church Government. 209 

Ques. What similar command is given in 
Mark's gospel? 

Ans. " Go ye into all the world, and preach 
the gospel to every creature." (Mark xvi. 
15.) 

Ques. What part of the world's population 
has received the gospel and become nominally 
Christian ? 

Ans. About one-fourth, or three hundred 
and thirty million people. 

Ques. How much of this world yet remains 
without Christianity ? 

Ans. Three-fourths, or nine hundred and 
thirty million people. 

Ques. Into what religions are these unchris- 
tianized people divided? 

Ans. Heathens, or idol-worshipers, eight 
hundred and seventeen millions; Moham- 
medans, or believers in the false prophet, one 
hundred and three millions; Jews, seven mill- 
ions. 

Ques. What is the condition of those lands 
which are without the gospel? 

Ans. They are in deep ignorance and accus- 
tomed to the practice of the vilest crimes. 

Ques. What crimes are most prevalent in 
the heathen lands? 
14 



210 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

Ans. The worship of idols, the murder of 
little children, falsehood, and licentiousness. 

Ques. What is the duty of the Church to- 
ward these nations? 

Ans. To send them the gospel. 

Ques. How is this declared in the New Tes- 
tament ? 

Ans. " How then shall they call on him in 
whom they have not believed? and how shall 
they believe in him of whom they have not 
heard? and how shall they hear without a 
preacher?" (Rom. x. 14.) 

Ques. What is the duty of every Christian 
toward these people? 

Ans. Either himself to go to them with the 
gospel, or to help in sending some one who 
can teach them. 

Ques. What motive should impel 'all to aid 
in sending the gospel to the world? 

Ans. The motive of gratitude to God, in 
that we ourselves have received it, and should 
desire to extend its blessings to others. 

Success of Missions. 

It has not been more than one hundred 
years since the earnest missionary work com- 
menced. William Cary, who entered India in 



Church Government. 211 

1793, may be considered a pioneer in the 
work. Dr. Judson began in Burmah in 1814. 
Dr. Eobert Morrison baptized his first convert 
in China in 1814. What is the condition of 
the work now ? It is this : Protestant mission- 
aries occupy to-day five hundred separate fields. 
In them they have 40,000 missionaries, 500,- 
000 heathen children attending Christian 
schools, 1,000,000 communicants enrolled in 
congregations gathered from among the hea- 
then; and 2,000,000 stated hearers are nomi- 
nal adherents of the gospel faith. About 
$10,000,000 is paid annually to suprjort the 
cause of Missions. 

Success of Missions in Fiji Islands. 

In the Fiji Islands, forty years ago, the 
people fed on human flesh, and were sunk in 
the deepest ignorance and idolatry. Mission- 
aries have led 30,000 of these man-eaters to be 
Christians. They have given up their idols, 
pay about $15,000 for religious objects annu- 
ally, and have 40,000 of their children in Sun- 
day-schools. On the Island of Madagascar 
the savage people have been Christianized. 
There are 200,000 native Christians there now. 
There are about 73,000 native Christians in 



212 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

East India. In China there have been estab- 
lished missionary centers in 40 large cities and 
360 villages. 

The horrible practice of burning alive wid- 
ows on the graves of their dead husbands, of 
killing infants, and offering human sacrifices, 
have all been banished from the land by the 
influence of the gospel. 

Encouragements/ 

The whole world is now open for the recep- 
tion of the gospel. 

.The Bible is printed in 250 languages and 
dialects. 

There are 150,000,000 copies of the Bible in 
circulation. 

Twenty-five Woman's Boards in England 
and America are actively engaged in foreign 
mission-work. 

The Young Men's Christian Associations 
are now formally inaugurating foreign-mis- 
sion branches. 

The number of missionary societies is ten- 
fold what it was eighty years ago. 

The number of converts is nearly fifty-fold. 

The increased facilities for intercommuni- 
cation. 



Church Government. 213 



The diffusion of the English language. 

Wonderful revivals, with pentecostal power, 
are frequent in heathen lands. 

The increase in membership in heathen 
lands is thirty times greater than at home, in 
proportion to the number of ministers em- 
ployed, although the tests of discipleship are 
of the most trying nature. 

Two hundred and fifty millions of women 
depend for the gospel upon the women of the 
Protestant Churches of America. 

Nine-tenths of the contributions to Foreign 
Missions are given by one-tenth of the Church- 
membership, while only one-half of the mem- 
bership give any thing. The average amount 
per member is fifty cents per annum — only 
the seventh part of a cent per day for the con- 
version of a thousand millions of heathen! 



APPENDIX. 



DENOMINATIONAL STATISTICS FOR 1887. 
I. Methodists. 

Name of Body. 



Methodist Episcopal 

Methodist Episcopal. South 

African Methodist Episcopal 

African Methodist Episcopal Zion 

United Brethren 

Colored Methodist Episcopal 

Methodist Protestant 

Evangelical Association 

American Wesleyan 

Congregational Methodists 

Free Methodists 

Independent Methodists 

Primitive Methodists 

Union American Meth. Episcopal (col.) 



Total Methodists. 



Churches 


Minis's 


20,755 


12^54 


11,364 


4,530 


2,800 


2,600 


2,200 


2,000 


4,332 


1,378 


2,016 


1,729 


1,799 


1,238 


1,808 


1,069 


495 


179 


70 


225 


358 


373 


35 


30 


125 


50 


50 


112 


48,207 


27,967 



2,093,935 

1,102,926 

£00,000 

314.000 

185,103 

165,000 

133,514 

132,508 

17,727 

13,750 

12,314 

5,000 

3,837 

3,500 

4,683,114 



II. Baptists. 



Begular Baptists 

Anti-mission Baptists.. 

Free Baptists 

Other Free Baptists.... 

Disciples of Christ 

Christians (North) 

Christians (South) 

Church of God 

Seventh-day Baptists 

Dunkards 

Six Principle 



Total Baptists. 



30,522 


19,377 


900 


400 


1,542 


1.291 


650 


600 


4,536 


2,712 


1,662 


1,327 


75 


35 


500 


450 


94 


103 


350 


1,578 


16 


16 


40,847 


27,889 



(21-1) 



2,732.570 

40,000 

82,323 

34.144 

582,800 

122,000 

18,000 

45,000 

8,720 

60,000 

1,450 



3,727,007 



Appendix. 



215 



III. Presbyterians. 



Name of Body. 


Churches 


Minis's 


Commuui'ts 




6,281 

2,198 

2,546 

500 

881 

121 

175 

112 

54 


5,546 

1,085 

1,547 

200 

736 

115 

84 

84 

32 


661,809 




143,743 




138,564 




13,000 


Presbyterians, United 


91,086 
10,856 




9,563 


Associated Reformed Synod, South 


7,015 
6,800 






Total Presbyterians 


12,868 


9,429 


1,082,436 



IV. Lutherans. 





1,449 
360 
1,835 
2,006 
1,923 


910 
180 
993 
1,094 
813 


138,988 




29,683 




258,408 




297,631 




206,120 






Total Lutherans 


7,573 


3,990 


930,830 



V. CoNGREGATIONALISTS. 



Congregational ists | 4,277 | 4,090 | 436,379 



VI. Episcopalians. 





4,434 
90 


3,745 
120 


418,531 


Reformed Episcopal Church 


12,000 






Total Episcopalians 


4,524 


3,865 


430,531 







VII. Reformed. 



Reformed (German) 

Reformed (Dutch; 


1,468 
536 


788 
554 


137,937 
86,037 




Total Reformed 


2,004 


1,342 


259,974 



VIII. Christian Union. 



Christian Union Churches | 1,500 | 550 | 120,000 



216 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 



IX. Friends. 


Name of Body. 


Churches 


Minis's 


Coniniuni'ts 


Orthodox 1 600 

Non-affiliating Orthodox 100 


500 


70,000 
12,000 




23,000 


Total Friends 








700 


500 


105.000 


X. Mennonites. 


All branches . | 550 


500 


100,000 


XI. Adventists. 




91 
583 

798 


107 
501 
213 


11,100 
63,500 
23,111 








Total Adventists 


1,472 


821 


97,711 


XII. Moravians. 




83 


64 


10,686 






XIII. Miscellaneous. 




695 

90 

365 


695 
78 
459 


35,550 

5,015 

20,000 












1,150 


1,210 


60,565 


Grand total Protestant Churches 


125,755 


82,21 


712,044,233 


Roman Catholics. 




Churches 


Priests. 


Population. 


Total 


6,910 


7,658 


7,000,000 



The Catholic Directory lias discontinued its 
estimates of population, and the above is sup- 
posed to be approximately correct. It must 
be kept in mind, however, that the whole pop- 



Appendix. 



217 



ulation is reckoned. No means are accessible 
for ascertaining the number of actual commu- 
nicants. The usual ratio among Protestant 
Churches is one communicant to four adher- 
ents to the denomination. This would give to 
the Roman Catholics 1,750,000 communicants. 
Estimating as the Romanists do, the Meth- 
odist population of this country would be 
18,762,000; the Baptist, 14,079,000; the Pres- 
byterian, 4,328,000; Lutheran, 3,720,000; Epis- 
copalian, 1,720,000, etc. 

Comparative Statistics. 

All Methodists in the United States 4,683,514 

All Baptists in the United States 3,727,007 

All Presbyterians in the United States 1,082,436 

All Lutherans in the United States 930,830 

All Congregational ists in the United States 436,373 

All Protestant Episcopalians in the United States 418,531 

Denominational Statistics feom U. S. Census, 1870. 



Denominations. 



Methodists 

Baptists 

Episcopalians 

Presbyterians 

Lutherans 

Roman Catholics.... 
Congregationalists 



Congre- 


Churcb- 


Church 


gations. 


(difices. 


Sittings. 


25,278 


21,837 


6,528,209 


15,839 


14,032 


4,365,135 


2,835 


2,601 


991,051 


7,824 


6,071 


2,697,244 


3,032 


2,776 


977,332 


4,127 


3,806 


1,990,514 


2,887 


2,715 


1,117,212 



Church 
Property. 



$69,854,121 
41,607,198 
36,514,549 
43,365,306 
14,917,747 
60,985,566 
25,069,698 



Note. 
The Methodists began to preach in this coun- 
try in 1773; the Baptists began in 1639; the 
Presbyterians began in 1703; the Congrega- 



218 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

tionalists began in 1648; the Catholics, Lu- 
therans, and Episcopalians began with the 
settlement of the country. It will be seen 
that the Methodist is the youngest of the 
Churches mentioned. She is 177 years young- 
er than the Baptist, 118 years younger than 
the Congregationalist, 63 years younger than 
the Presbyterian; while the Catholic, Episco- 
palian, and Lutheran are as old as immigra- 
tion to the American shores. Notwithstand- 
ing this, the Methodist Church is by far the 
largest in numbers. The census table shows 
that she has one-third of all the Church or- 
ganizations in the United States, has one- 
third of all the church-edifices, preaches to 
one-fourth of all the church-going population, 
and has built on an average nearly two church- 
es per day for the last twenty years. The 
Methodist population in the United States is 
estimated to be 18,345,000. "In twenty-two 
of the thirty-seven States of the Union the 
Methodist Church is first in numbers; in 
eleven others she is second; in three others 
she is third. The Roman Catholic Church is 
first in five States; the Baptist is first in six 
States; and the Congregationalist is first in 
four States. 



Appendix. 219 



It will be seen from the foregoing tables 
that the Methodist Church stands far in ad- 
vance of all other denominations in this coun- 
try. She ranks first in the number of her 
communicants, in the number and capacity 
of her church - buildings, in the value of 
Church property, and in the amount of mon- 
ey collected and expended for Church pur- 
poses. 

The Claims of Methodism. 

While we do not claim to be the only Church, 
we do claim to be superior to some others in 
many important particulars. 

1. We claim superiority in the scriptural 
soundness of our leading doctrines. There 
are four great doctrinal systems in the world 
— the Eoman Catholic, the Calvinistic, the 
Lutheran, and the Wesleyan. The Catholic 
creed teaches that salvation comes through 
the Papal Church alone. The Calvinistic 
creed makes the salvation or non-salvation of 
every soul to depend on the unchangeable de- 
cree of God. The Lutheran creed lodges the 
salvation of the soul in the sacraments. The 
Methodist creed makes the salvation or non- 
salvation of every soul depend on his will- 
ingness to receive and appropriate the free 



220 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

grace of the gospel offered to all men. This 
creed presents a doctrine high as the love of 
God and wide as the deep wants of the human 
race. This ground-view of Methodism ap- 
peals to the common sense of mankind for its 
truth. It has driven Calvinism practically 
out of the pulpit of Christendom, and is rap- 
idly ascending the throne of universal accept- 
ance. It preaches a free and full salvation, 
justification by faith alone, carefulness to 
maintain good works, the witness of the Spir- 
it to the believer's present acceptance, holiness 
of life, a burning love for the salvation of 
souls, and an entire reliance upon the Holy 
Spirit as the source of spiritual power. It 
has an open communion table, contends for a 
pure and spiritual worship, a deep and heart- 
felt experience of vital religion, and encour- 
ages and promotes revivals as vital to the 
health and growth of a Church. The vast 
army of Methodism has been recruited mainly 
through its system of revivals. While other 
Churches have been gathering a few members 
through family training and catechetical in- 
struction, Methodism has swept them in by 
hundreds and thousands. The first method 
is the slow way of fishing with a hook and line; 



Appendix. 221 



the revival method is fishing with a net, that 
goes far out into the waters and sweeps in thou- 
sands with one haul. 

2. Methodism claims superiority in adapt- 
ing itself to the circumstances of human life. 
"Methodism," says the celebrated Dr. Talmage, 
"in England preaches in a gown, in our East- 
ern cities in broadcloth, in the West in shirt- 
sleeves, if the season be appropriate — preach- 
ing in the house or in the fields — anywhere (it 
makes no difference where), preaching just as 
well in one place as in another. It takes the 
express train and goes across the continent, or 
a horse and rides with saddle-bags across the 
prairie. It is at home in the magnificent St. 
Paul's, in New York, and not at all inconven- 
ienced in a log cabin. . . . Here is a man 
fallen down in the ditch of sin and crime. 
How are we going to get him out ? We come 
up elegantly appareled, and we look at him, 
and we say : ' What a pity it is to see a man so 
deep in the mud! We wish we could get him 
out. Is it not awf til to see that man suffering 
there? Get a pry, somebody, and help now! 
I wish I had on my old clothes.' While we 
stand there looking at the poor man, the Meth- 
odist comes along and says, ' Brother, give me 



222 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

your hand,' pulls hini up, and sets him on the 
Rock of Ages." 

We are told in one of the Arabian stories of 
a fairy tent which a young prince brought, 
hidden in a walnut shell, to his father. Placed 
in a council-chamber, it grew till it canopied 
the king and his ministry. Taken into the 
court-yard, it filled the space till all the house- 
hold stood beneath its shade. Brought into 
the midst of the great plain without the city, 
where the army was encamped, it spread its 
expansive shade all abroad, till it gave shelter 
to a mighty host of people. It had wonderful 
flexibility and expansiveness. And such is the 
expansive flexibibility and adaptableness of 
Methodism. It has this power of easy adap- 
tation to the most diversified conditions of life. 
It reaches out its arms to embrace the negro 
in his hut, the backwoodsman in his forest 
home, the scholar in his study, and the prince 
in his gilded palace. 

3. Methodism, more than any other denom- 
ination, has exercised a watch-care over indi- 
vidual members. To visit from time to time 
every house where there is a Methodist mem- 
ber, though it may be but a servant girl, and 
to talk and pray with them, is the old ideal of 



Appendix. 223 



a Methodist preacher's duty, and it is yet held 
and acted on in most places. The class-leader 
is also to watch over the members in his charge, 
and "to see every member of his class once 
a week " was formerly exacted of him. This 
constant watchfulness checked incipient back- 
slidings, recovered those who had gone astray, 
and was a powerful engine for the enforce- 
ment of discipline. The class-leaders are ap- 
pointees of the pastor, and are his deputies. 
Attendance upon the class-meetings is no 
longer compulsory, but the watchfulness of 
the leader over his flock and his accountabil- 
ity to the pastor in the regular meetings of 
the official board, are yet great powers for the 
conservation of the membership. A system of 
intelligence is thus established by which the 
pastor is enabled to consider every member — 
even the most obscure — in his individual cir- 
cumstances and qualities. Methodism is not 
so much an organization, but an organism, in 
which every part — even the remotest — is vital- 
ized by its connection with the whole. Of 
late years an effort has been made to supply 
the lack of the old efficiency of the class- 
meeting system by organizing the ladies of 
the city congregations into societies for the 



224 The Shield of the Young Methodist. 

purpose of assisting the pastor in visitation 
and supervision. 

Methodism has always been intensely social. 
Its class-meetings were family gatherings; its 
love-feasts and prayer-meetings and " general 
class-meetings " were so many ever-recurring 
expressions of its social life. More powerful 
than any oratory is the influence of fellowship 
upon the masses of the people, and this fel- 
lowship Methodism furnished and still fur- 
nishes. In the older and less conventional 
days I have seen class-meetings and love-feasts 
break up with what the enthusiastic Western 
people called " a good old-fashioned Method- 
ist shake-hands all round." No social distinc- 
tions were tolerated then. The title of " broth- 
er " and "sister," then in almost universal use 
between Methodists as substitutes for " Mr." 
and "Mrs." was a symbol of the entire equal- 
ity of brethren in the Church. 

4. Methodism claims superiority in her 
methods of diffusing the gospel over the world 
through the itinerant ministry. It is this 
grand agency that has enabled Methodism to 
keep up with the march of frontier settle- 
ments, cross the Alleghanies, follow the Indian 
trail beyond the Mississippi, and at length fill 



Appendix. 2 V ^ 



the far West with the sound of its victories. 
In the wake of its luminous progress have 
sprung up all kinds of improvements, It has 
been a popular educator, civilizer, and refiner 
to the rude masses of the West. A distin- 
guished outsider has " recognized in the Meth- 
odist economy, as well as in the zeal and the 
devoted piety and efficiency of its ministry, one 
of the most powerful elements in the religious 
prosperity of the United States, as well as one 
of the firmest pillars of their civil and politic- 
al institutions." Bancroft, the historian, ac- 
knowledges the Methodists as the "pioneers 
of religion " in this country, and says that 
they have " carried their consolations, songs, 
and prayers to the farthest cabins in the wil- 
derness." Another talented writer has said: 
"Their voice went through the land as a 
trumpet call. It sounded over the heights 
and depths, and tilled the country with its 
echoes." Not only have the banners of Meth- 
odism been planted in all the States and Ter- 
ritories of the Union from sea to sea, but it 
has spread rapidly over Great Britain, its na- 
tive home; into Scotland, Ireland, to Nova 
Scotia, the West Indies, France, Africa, India, 
Germany, and is achieving remarkable success 



15 



226 The Shield of the. Young Methodist. 

among tlie cannibal islands of the Southern 
Sea. "The world is my parish," said Mr. 
Wesley, and it seems that this prophecy is 
about to be realized. For the bright eye of 
the sun sees no longitude on the rolling earth 
where Methodism is not working for the sal- 
\ ation of men. May her future history real- 
ize the noble anticipations of the poet Mont- 
gomery, who said: "Century expanding after 
century, like circle beyond circle in broad 
water, shall carry farther and farther the 
blessings of the Methodist dispensation, till 
they have tracked every sea and touched every 
shore." 



